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.
Since then the complaints, and violations, have continued to stack up, just as a summer heat wave settled over the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
And how does that stack up against how much you are earning?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Then, scroll to the bottom to see how all the teams stack up, and discover a nugget of trivia for each team.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Already an established artist, problems started to stack up when she was announced as Bulgaria's first Eurovision entry since 2022.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
When I leave, I stack up my orders in the car and have to run back in for a six-pack of Coke for the first stop.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
