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
People often line up to shake her hand and thank her for taking on this fight when she is at events.
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
“At any rate,” Mama hurried on, “you know how these anniversaries upset dear Jans, so we must all try to make it up to her.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
