size-up
Americannoun
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an appraisal or estimation, especially as the result of sizing up.
asking for a size-up of the new office equipment.
verb
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(tr) to make an assessment of (a person, problem, etc)
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to conform to or make so as to conform to certain specifications of dimension
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Make an estimate, opinion, or judgment of, as in She sized up her opponent and decided to withdraw from the election. This usage transfers measuring the size of something to broader meaning. [Late 1800s]
Etymology
Origin of size-up
Noun use of verb phrase size up
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.
“I’m not trying to size-up against other players,” Adell added.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2023
But perhaps most importantly, he needs to size-up the client.
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2014
John F. Kennedy wanted a size-up, not a summit.
From Time Magazine Archive
Having collected her facts about Evita, Fleur said that they only confirmed her first intuitive size-up.
From Time Magazine Archive
Therefore restrict your size-up to the discriminative observation of the muscle signs of his mind habits and mind actions.
From Certain Success by Hawkins, Norval A.
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.