stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1

: to add up

Cars were beginning to stack up behind the bus.

2

: to be in a particular state or situation

Here's how things stack up today.

3

: measure up, compare

—usually used with against

How does he stack up against the other job candidates?

Synonyms of stack up

• 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

Tasks, messages, or requests may stack up quickly, but trying to handle everything at once will slow you down. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2026

Combined with the city’s Homebuyer Assistance Program, which can stack up to $25,000 toward down payment and closing costs for eligible first-time buyers with moderate incomes, the gap between renting and owning shrinks. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026

Here’s how the major brands stack up on sugar, fiber, flavor and what’s actually inside the can. —Kansas City Star, 5 May 2026

Super speeders — otherwise known as repeat offenders who've stacked up traffic violations but are still able to drive in NYC — can prove dangerous to bikers, pedestrians and other drivers alike. —Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 1 May 2026

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