stack up
Idioms-
Measure up, equal, as in Their gift doesn't stack up against mine . This usage alludes to piling up one's chips at poker, and comparing them to those of the other players. [Early 1900s]
-
Make sense, seem plausible, as in Her explanation just doesn't stack up . Also see add up , def. 2.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The number of storylines begin to stack up by the second, but it’s no one’s job to remember them all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
How does that stack up with his words this week?
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
As we’ll see, it’s a story including a Nobel Prize winner, a book and some claims that don’t quite stack up.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
And how does that stack up against how much you are earning?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Soon it’s time to stack up the hurdles and put them off to the side of the track, and all the relay girls are laughing and joking with each other.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
