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

• come (to)
• correspond (to)
• amount (to)

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

Arizona State dominated stats That TCU led 24-17 with less than two minutes remaining in the game was one of those instances when the math didn’t add up. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025

These small but meaningful updates add up to a smoother iPhone experience. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025

The investments in technology, store refits, and additional staffing to give baristas time to connect with customers have added up to hundreds of millions of dollars. —Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2025

In total, this added up to nearly $70 billion between 2013 and 2022. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 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