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Synonyms

measure up

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to determine the size of (something) by measurement

  2. to fulfil (expectations, standards, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
measure up Idioms  

  1. Be the equal of, as in Is he a good enough actor to measure up to the other members of the cast? [Early 1900s]

  2. Have the qualifications for, be of high enough quality for, as in His latest book hasn't measured up to the reviewers' expectations . [First half of 1900s]

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.

But it is possible to look at the general trend and how the nations measure up to their own targets.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The fragments vary widely in size, from less than 1 gram to 85.4 grams, and can measure up to 5 centimeters along their longest dimension.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

But when it comes to collectibles, there’s frequently a sense they don’t quite measure up as a legitimate asset class.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 26, 2025

Several plays are required to hear these versions for what they are rather than for how they measure up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

A gallery was such a huge challenge that it didn’t take long to see the ways in which an individual officer didn’t measure up.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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.