up to

1. 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]

2. 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]

3. Dependent on, as in The success of this project is up to us . [c. 1900] Also see the following idioms beginning with up to .

4. 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]

Example Sentences

To start with, nobody is expecting a behemoth that’s up to 25 feet long to come so close to the California coast, said Paig-Tran.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.

From Los Angeles Times

The French Medical Association last month banned him from practicing medicine for 2 years, his tally of retractions is up to 24, and 243 IHU papers have received expressions of concern.

From Science Magazine

Using their new method, they were able to produce proteins consisting of up to 1000 amino acids.

From Science Daily

It can take up to 24 hours for victims to start showing signs of illness which include: nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain which can escalate into hyperventilation and breathing problems.

From BBC