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.
They’re standards that “Dead Man” aims to measure up to, as well as templates it wants to subvert.
From Los Angeles Times
Weaknesses: FAU’s run to the Final Four doesn’t quite measure up to what the other three teams have done.
From Seattle Times
And right now, their best measures up to just about anybody.
From Washington Post
As I rewatched "Dear Edward," I took note of how the grown-ups in the kid's life measured up to those in young Harry's.
From Salon
Ross delighted in the levity of proving his small town ski skills could measure up to those who learned to ski and taught at big resorts.
From Seattle Times
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.
