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

Curiously, the Zervos Museum is often overlooked by the day-trippers traipsing up to the hilltop Basilica of Ste.-Marie-Madeleine, which has been a pilgrimage site for more than 1,000 years. —Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025

The Final Destination movies merely magnify these commonplace anxieties and ramps them up to the nth degree, leaving you a nervous wreck in the process. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025

And all members of the iPhone 16 series are included, right up to the iPhone 16e. —David Phelan, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

The currents are powerful channels of water that flow away from shore at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th 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