measure up

verb

measured up; measuring up; measures up

intransitive verb

1
: to have necessary or fitting qualifications
As a candidate for the job, he didn't measure up.
often used with to
Her work didn't measure up to our expectations.
2
: to be the equal (as in ability)
Her early films were promising, but more recent ones haven't measured up.
used with to
His recent novels haven't measured up to his earlier works.

Examples of measure up in a Sentence

he always worried about measuring up to his older brother
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hotel breakfasts should be a dining highlight of any respectable property and Amanyara’s measured up. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2026 How could my beloved chicken sandwich chain make a pizza or burger that could possibly measure up? Katie Riley, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026 According to the report, the model's performance is not measuring up to AI models from rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google with Gemini. Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026 Some of the eruptions have measured up to 30 feet. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for measure up

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of measure up was in 1854

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Measure up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/measure%20up. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

measure up

verb
1
: to have necessary or fitting qualifications
2
: to be the equal (as in ability)
used with to

More from Merriam-Webster on measure up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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