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.
Doesn’t exactly measure up to the enormity of the classics, does it?
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 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 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
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.
