stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1
: to add up : total
2
: measure up, compare
usually used with against

Examples of stack up in a Sentence

those newspapers have been stacking up in the basement since we moved here
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least another 17 nationwide injunctions have stacked up against Trump during the first two months of his second term, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025 Then, take our quiz to see how your tech strategy stacks up. Forbes Research, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 How Malonga and her international cohorts stack up against NCAA stars such as USC’s Kiki Iriafen and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow is the subject of today’s scouting exercise. Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 Shesterkin’s counting stats might not stack up against the best in the league — his .907 save percentage is respectable yet unremarkable — but that’s in large part because of the poor defense in front of him. Peter Baugh, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stack up

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stack up was in 1896

Cite this Entry

“Stack up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stack%20up. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

stack up

verb
: measure up sense 2, compare
see how you stack up against the champion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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