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  • size-up
    size-up
    noun
    an appraisal or estimation, especially as the result of sizing up.
  • size up
    size up
    verb
    (tr) to make an assessment of (a person, problem, etc)
Synonyms

size-up

American  
[sahyz-uhp] / ˈsaɪzˌʌp /

noun

  1. an appraisal or estimation, especially as the result of sizing up.

    asking for a size-up of the new office equipment.


size up British  

verb

  1. (tr) to make an assessment of (a person, problem, etc)

  2. to conform to or make so as to conform to certain specifications of dimension

"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

size up Idioms  
  1. Make an estimate, opinion, or judgment of, as in She sized up her opponent and decided to withdraw from the election. This usage transfers measuring the size of something to broader meaning. [Late 1800s]


Etymology

Origin of size-up

Noun use of verb phrase size up

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.

See Examples For:

“I’m not trying to size-up against other players,” Adell added.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 8, 2023

But perhaps most importantly, he needs to size-up the client.

From BBC Feb. 13, 2014

John F. Kennedy wanted a size-up, not a summit.

From Time Magazine Archive

Having collected her facts about Evita, Fleur said that they only confirmed her first intuitive size-up.

From Time Magazine Archive

Your prospecting and your size-up should have convinced you that he is not in fact the crab he tries to appear.

From Certain Success by Norval A. Hawkins

Our roundtable pros size up the trend and offer 10 promising stocks.

From Barron's Aug. 21, 2026

As America celebrates 250 years, we size up how it’s been portrayed in, and has shaped, what we watch, listen to and read.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 2, 2026

I tried it on a Saturday earlier this month to size up the pros and cons because it might be coming to an off-airport location near you as efforts to ease airport congestion increase.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 24, 2026

Trial lawyers and consultants who size up potential jurors, though, say the kinds of pitched battles that eventually erupted in that Florida jury room are becoming more common.

From The Wall Street Journal May 20, 2026

Slowly, I looked around to size up the others as I took a seat, easing down by a woman who resembled Mother Lois in her coloring.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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