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

We’ve only been dating a few months, but is this something I can bring up to him?

From MarketWatch

The Olympic gold medalist became undisputed champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight, where he outpointed Fury to become boxing's first undisputed champion in 25 years.

From BBC

While it was shaping up to be a shaky day for the stock market, over in the world of silver the news was a lot shinier.

From Barron's

The competitors were vying for up to three downstate casino licenses, all of which now look set to be awarded.

From Barron's

The loan will be paid back to the Törnqvist family foundation over a period of up to 10 years, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• acceptable
• likely
• qualified
• suitable