stand up to — withstand scrutiny
phrasal verbC2IELTS 8+neutraloccasional
to be strong or valid enough to endure close examination, criticism, or testing without being disproved or weakened.
Say it like a native
Textbook The theory remains valid under rigorous examination.
Native The theory stands up to scrutiny.
'Stand up to' is the idiomatic 'hold up under testing'; the formal version is heavier.
Pattern: stand up to + noun (scrutiny/criticism/examination/analysis)
In use
- Her theory does not stand up to close scrutiny by experts in the field.evaluation
- While the proposal initially seemed promising, it failed to stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The argument doesn't stand up against close examination.
✓ The argument doesn't stand up to close examination.
'Stand up TO' scrutiny/testing — not 'against'.
Common collocations
stand up to + test— scrutiny, examination, the evidence, questioning
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B2 sense, which is about resisting a person or group, this sense is abstract and refers to whether something can endure detailed examination or criticism.
Related
- stand up to (defend yourself against someone or something) — 'stand up to' also has the more basic meaning 'defend yourself against someone or something'; this is the advanced sense.