square up
phrasal verb
squared up; squaring up; squares up
: to turn so that one is facing something or someone directly
She squared up (with/to the basket) for a three-point shot.
They squared up for a fight.
Examples of square up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stellini took on the club’s post-match media duties after Conte was sent off for squaring up to the fourth official and protesting too vehemently against the decision to award the penalty from which Inter went 2-1 up.
—
James Horncastle, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Fans, however, will have to get used to seeing their favorite teammates square up against each other on the court.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The wood chisel is used to square up the two inside corners of the mortise.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
Who can square up to Hopkins in that clever craft?
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for square up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
James Horncastle, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Fans, however, will have to get used to seeing their favorite teammates square up against each other on the court.
—Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
The wood chisel is used to square up the two inside corners of the mortise.
—Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2026
Who can square up to Hopkins in that clever craft?
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for square up
Cite this Entry
“Square up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/square%20up. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
