stack up
Idioms-
Measure up, equal, as in Their gift doesn't stack up against mine . This usage alludes to piling up one's chips at poker, and comparing them to those of the other players. [Early 1900s]
-
Make sense, seem plausible, as in Her explanation just doesn't stack up . Also see add up , def. 2.
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.
Once dry, the highly flammable cylinders are sent to the front line, where gun crews stack up to six of them into artillery systems, such as howitzers, depending on the distance they want to fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
And how does that stack up against how much you are earning?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Already an established artist, problems started to stack up when she was announced as Bulgaria's first Eurovision entry since 2022.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
How does the top of the Dodgers’ lineup — Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman — stack up against Team USA’s lineup from the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026
“And I mean it, too. I want you fellows—” he nodded at the two cops “—to put the word out, understand? Shorty, you too. You know how things stack up around here.”
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
