add up

verb

Definition of add up

intransitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

Examples of add up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Final Words So what does all of this add up to? — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "The Pixel 3’s Greatness Is Measured in Millimeters," 15 Oct. 2018 Every flight, taxi, hotel stay, and piece of plastic adds up to a devastating strain on our planet. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "See Condé Nast Traveler at South By Southwest," 9 Aug. 2018 The transportation industry kicked in 12 percent, and agriculture, forestry, and general business groups (like the Chamber of Commerce) add up to another eight percent. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Fossil fuel lobbyists grossly outspend “Big Green”," 20 July 2018 The Blast notes that the total adds up to an inheritance of roughly $1.68 million. — Tyler Mccarthy, Fox News, "David Cassidy's son to reportedly receive his full estate which well-exceeds previous estimates," 19 July 2018 That $10-per-hour summer job slinging eggs or saving lives at the beach could add up to more than pocket change. — Adam Shell, USA TODAY, "Investing in Facebook, Amazon, Google stocks could turn summer job pay into a fortune," 8 June 2018 Staff members are offered tuition and extended care discounts that, for most employees, can add up to large savings or the opportunity for their children to attend an outstanding academic institution. 29. — azcentral, "Top Companies to Work for in Arizona-Small Companies," 7 June 2018 In 2017, Postal Service revenues from private shippers including Amazon added up to $7 billion, Politifact noted. — CBS News, "Trump has pushed postmaster general to double Amazon's shipping rates, report says," 18 May 2018 An average of a dime from all of those departing passengers would add up to $345,000 in a year. — Don Behm, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County to ask airport passengers for spare change to help homeless," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'add up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.