up to

preposition

1

—used as a function word to indicate extension as far as a specified place

sank up to his knees in the mud

2

—used as a function word to indicate a limit or boundary

up to 50,000 copies a month

worked up to the last minute

Examples of up to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Physical damage loans can provide up to $2 million to repair or replace buildings, equipment, or inventory. —Brandon Kochkodin, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Landfills can depress the value of property up to three miles away, with larger landfills having greater adverse impacts than smaller ones. —Michelle Gale, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2025

Estimates say that up to 12 million acres of what’s now California burned every year in prehistoric times. —The Editors, National Review, 13 Jan. 2025

Over the next three days, fires whipped by gusts of up to 100 m.p.h. burned some 29,000 acres. —Chad De Guzman, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

up to

preposition

1

: as far as a named part or place

sank up to my hips

2

: in accordance with

the game was not up to our standards

3

a

: to the limit of

come in sizes up to 10

b

: as many or as much as

carry up to 10 tons

4

: until entry 1, till

from dawn up to dusk