up to
Idioms-
As far as or approaching a certain point. For example, The water was nearly up to the windowsill , or They allowed us up to two hours to finish the test , or This seed should yield up to 300 bushels per acre . [c. a.d. 950]
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be up to . Be able to do or deal with, as in When I got home, she asked if I was up to a walk on the beach . This usage is often put negatively, that is, not be up to something , as in He's not up to a long drive . [Late 1700s]
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Occupied with, engaged in, as in What have you been up to lately? This usage can mean “devising” or “scheming,” as in We knew those two were up to something . It also appears in up to no good , meaning “occupied with or devising something harmful,” as in I'm sure those kids are up to no good . [First half of 1800s]
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Dependent on, as in The success of this project is up to us . [c. 1900] Also see the following idioms beginning with up to .
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.
A move up to the $140-a-barrel threshold can’t be entirely ruled out, he said, nor a more aggressive path of Federal Reserve rate hikes than is currently expected.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
Behind nondescript exteriors in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” some employees log up to 30,000 steps a day while others ride scooters down echoey hallways and sniff for overheating equipment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Indeed, Saylor’s purchases were thought to be the primary force behind Bitcoin’s modest rise in price in the weeks leading up to the conference.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
A £1m fund has been set up to help local communities protect threatened green spaces.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
“Sorry,” I mumble, moving up to sit in the vacated chair.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
