stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1

: to add up : total

2

: measure up, compare

—usually used with against

Synonyms

• compare (with)
• measure up (to)

Examples of stack up in a Sentence

those newspapers have been stacking up in the basement since we moved here

Recent Examples on the Web

Cost-wise, how does the menu cost actually stack up? —Sunny Hubler, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2025

How teams stack up in the race for automatic bids, first-round byes and staying on the right side of the bubble. —Austin Mock, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025

Tennis remains the only major professional sport where women stack up near par alongside men on the pay scales. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 20 Aug. 2025

While the actual move will hinge on how the results stack up against analyst expectations, incorporating this history can be a useful part of a trading plan. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stack up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

stack up

verb

: measure up sense 2, compare

see how you stack up against the champion