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Grammar fix

stack up

compare (with/to something else)

to be as good as or as effective as something or someone else, especially when compared directly; to measure up in comparison.

phrasal verbC1occasional

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • When you compare the new phone to last year's model, it really doesn't stack up.work
  • While online courses are convenient, some people feel they don't stack up to traditional classroom learning in terms of interaction and motivation.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: stack up (against/to something/someone)

WrongHow does it stack up with the others?

RightHow does it stack up against the others?

Usually 'stack up AGAINST' (or 'to') — 'with' is less natural here.

Patternstack up (against/to something/someone)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff I am curious how our product compares with the competition.

Natural I wonder how our product stacks up against the competition.

'Stack up against' is the idiomatic 'compare/measure up'; the formal version is flatter.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • stack up + against
    against rivalsto the originalwellfavourably

Don't confuse it

This sense is figurative and different from the literal sense of 'stack up' (to arrange things in a pile). Here, it means to compare the quality, effectiveness, or performance of something with another.

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