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

After several major storms led to erosion, those seats have been moved up to a little bluff, just in front of the two pools (thankfully, the beautiful view remains the same). —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025

That's up to $300 in statement credits each calendar year. —Lori Zaino, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025

Working With the White House While the ICRC is a private organization, contributions from various governments constitute up to 82 percent of its funding. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

The wand requires no batteries and is USB-C rechargeable, with a full charge lasting up to three months. —Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 Oct. 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