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.
To see how the finances of two of the biggest generations in American history stack up, we looked at some key data points from when they were similar ages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
"It didn't quite stack up at all," Follows said.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
Investors are waiting to see how its first rack-scale solution, Helios, will stack up against Nvidia when it rolls out in the second half of this year.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 23, 2026
That could stack up well versus the S&P 500 after the index’s three straight years of outsize returns.
From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026
When he saw me, he lowered the tin so I could step onto it, and I rode the stack up and onto the trailer.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
