to come close / measure up
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to come close to
To approach a person or thing physically; to be able to get near something.
Wegen der Absperrung konnte niemand an die Unfallstelle herankommen.
Because of the barrier, no one could come close to the accident site.
'Herankommen' is a separable verb. The prefix 'heran-' separates from the verb 'kommen' in main clauses and goes to the end of the sentence. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu,' the verb stays together.
Der Hund kommt langsam an den Fremden heran.
The dog slowly comes close to the stranger.
This verb is always used with the preposition 'an' and the accusative. This applies to both the physical and the figurative meaning.
Lass die Kinder nicht zu nah an den heißen Ofen herankommen.
Don't let the children come too close to the hot stove.
In the physical meaning, 'herankommen' is often used to express a difficulty or obstacle. It frequently appears in negative sentences to say that something is unreachable.
Das Kind ist noch zu klein, um an die Türklinke heranzukommen.
The child is still too small to reach the door handle.
In the figurative meaning, 'herankommen an' is used to compare qualities or performances. It is usually used negatively to express that something does not reach the same level.
Die Kopie kommt bei Weitem nicht an das Original heran.
The copy does not measure up to the original by a long shot.
to reach
'erreichen' and 'herankommen' can both express that you get as far as something or manage to reach a certain level. 'erreichen' usually means: the goal has really been achieved, or you physically get all the way to something. 'herankommen an' emphasizes closeness more: you get near something, can almost reach it, or approach a certain level. That is why the words can be confused. If the goal has really been reached, 'erreichen' fits better. If it is about approaching or comparing, 'herankommen an' sounds more natural.
An die Leistung der alten Mannschaft kommt das neue Team noch nicht heran.
The new team still does not measure up to the performance of the old team.
Mit der Leiter erreiche ich das oberste Regal ohne Probleme.
With the ladder, I can reach the top shelf without any problems.