up to

preposition

1

—used as a function word to indicate extension as far as a specified place

sank up to his knees in the mud

2

—used as a function word to indicate a limit or boundary

up to 50,000 copies a month

worked up to the last minute

Examples of up to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Residents can look for wind gusts of up to 40 mph. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2025

The Puerto Rican superstar and three-time Grammy winner is nominated for six categories, bumping him up to 16 career nominations. —Jason Lamphier, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025

The 36-inch electric fireplace insert heats up quickly, according to users, producing 5,188 BTUs of warmth — enough to cozy up rooms up to 400 square feet according to the brand. —Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

Produced by Missing Link Productions and Ruby Mannequin Films, the film received an award from Orka for image post up to $10,000, as well as a sound mix up to $6,000 from Soundflower. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for up to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

up to

preposition

1

: as far as a named part or place

sank up to my hips

2

: in accordance with

the game was not up to our standards

3

a

: to the limit of

come in sizes up to 10

b

: as many or as much as

carry up to 10 tons

4

: until entry 1, till

from dawn up to dusk