add up
verb
added up; adding up; adds up
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
: to form an opinion of
added him up at a glance
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
The new Carolina Panthers cornerback, who split his college career between stints at Alabama and Notre Dame, doesn’t think the math adds up.
—
Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
The combination adds up to the biggest hotel in Boise proper, with 46 more rooms than the nearby Grove.
—Mark Dee
may 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2026
Families can add up to another $5,000 in contributions every year until the child reaches 18, but those donations won’t be tax-deductible.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Capital expenditure from the country’s largest tech firms could add up to some $700 billion this year, largely driven by commitments to build the data centers and other infrastructure required to train, deploy, and maintain AI models.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for add up
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Charlotte Observer, 12 May 2026
The combination adds up to the biggest hotel in Boise proper, with 46 more rooms than the nearby Grove.
—Mark Dee
may 12, Idaho Statesman, 12 May 2026
Families can add up to another $5,000 in contributions every year until the child reaches 18, but those donations won’t be tax-deductible.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Capital expenditure from the country’s largest tech firms could add up to some $700 billion this year, largely driven by commitments to build the data centers and other infrastructure required to train, deploy, and maintain AI models.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for add up
Cite this Entry
“Add up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/add%20up. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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