Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

In hindsight, he said, the story of Rico, a teenager trying to measure up to the demands of fatherhood while being ill-equipped and lacking maturity to navigate the situation constructively, carried personal undertones.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

"But I will say that my boyfriend is my angel sent from heaven. He talks me down when I feel like I don't measure up."

From BBC • Apr. 28, 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

“How do you measure up to that? Where are the gaps?”

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Liz is a great cook too, so I was anxious to measure up.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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.