up to

Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

3. 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]

4. Dependent on, as in The success of this project is up to us . [c. 1900] Also see the following idioms beginning with up to .

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

up to

For someone with no or low earnings, up to £2,880 can be paid in each tax year, with basic-rate tax relief increasing that to £3,600.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

As of Wednesday, Facebook, Instagram and Threads users in 16 Spanish-speaking countries can sign up to provide context to online posts, which will remain invisible to others under the pilot program.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Maral said he is waiting to see if any of the companies “meaningfully” subsidize the Duo, which can cost up to $3,199 outright.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Plus, the producer-price index showed that wholesale inflation had picked up to 0.4% in August, up from 0.1% a month prior.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

There’s a great combo to wake up to.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• acceptable
• likely
• qualified
• suitable