measure up
Britishverb
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(adverb) to determine the size of (something) by measurement
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to fulfil (expectations, standards, etc)
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Be the equal of, as in Is he a good enough actor to measure up to the other members of the cast? [Early 1900s]
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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 job has to measure up to the trade-off of precious time he’s surrendering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Doesn’t exactly measure up to the enormity of the classics, does it?
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
If the returns didn’t measure up to the investments, there was always more ad revenue to be had.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 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
I had a feeling she wouldn’t measure up to my brother’s standards.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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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.
