1.  Live or act in accordance with; also, measure up to. For example, Children rarely live up to their parents' ideals, or This new technology has not lived up to our expectations. [Late 1600s]
2.  Carry out, fulfill, as in She certainly lived up to her end of the bargain. [First half of 1800s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.