measure up
Britishverb
-
(adverb) to determine the size of (something) by measurement
-
to fulfil (expectations, standards, etc)
-
Be the equal of, as in Is he a good enough actor to measure up to the other members of the cast? [Early 1900s]
-
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.
The company wanted to ensure food and service quality, along with having enough managers who measure up to its standards, said Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
RuPaul enters the fold and steals the show, and suddenly, none of the quips and bits can quite measure up to his delivery.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
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
If Donovan Curtis didn’t measure up to Lee standards, that hardly made him stupid.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
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.
