add up

verb

added up; adding up; adds up

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come to the expected total

the bill doesn't add up

b

: to form an intelligible pattern : make sense

her story just doesn't add up

2

a

: amount sense 1b

—used with to

the play adds up to a lot of laughs

b

: to amount to a lot

just a little each time, but it all adds up

transitive verb

: to form an opinion of

added him up at a glance

Synonyms

• amount (to)
• come (to)
• correspond (to)
• emulate
• equal

Examples of add up in a Sentence

whether we take the 4:00 train or the 4:15 bus, it adds up to the same thing: they both get us back too late

even if we pool all our money, it won't add up to enough to rent a beach house for a week

Recent Examples on the Web

That means in 2027, the monthly hike would rise to about $19, adding up to hundreds more annually. —Emily L. Mahoney, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025

Claims add up to $85.5 million, and the $22 million that Cox received in deposits has disappeared, according to Fine. —Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025

That, plus 13 turnovers, added up to a 64-47 halftime deficit for Brooklyn. —C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025

What This Means For Financial Firms For firms still operating on legacy technology, the challenges add up quickly: Slow Processes: Transactions take longer, and errors are more common. —Charlie Gautreaux, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Rhymes for add up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

add up

verb

1

a

: to come to a total and especially the expected total

b

: to make sense

her story just doesn't add up

2

: to amount to a lot

just a little each time, but it all adds up