up to

1 of 2

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

up to

2 of 2

phrase

1

: capable of performing or dealing with

feels up to the task

2

: engaged in

what is he up to

3

: being the responsibility of

it's up to me

Examples of up to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Donovan Mitchell did most of the work up to that point with 35 points, but Harden was the closer and finished with 19. —Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 May 2026

Light heavyweight, meanwhile, has been waiting for a star injection since Alex Pereira moved up to heavyweight, and Ulberg's recovery timeline through 2027 means the division needed a top-of-card story to build around in the meantime. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

Here, up to 20 courses are prepared with ritual precision, from seafood treated with the ikejime (humane fish-slaughtering) method, to rice and wasabi sourced from long-standing Japanese suppliers. —Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 10 May 2026

This kind of flea and tick prevention can last up to 30 days. —Jessie Quinn, USA Today, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

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