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 of add up

• 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

For nearly two centuries, the church has opened its doors week after week — adding up to more than 10,000 Sunday services, each one connecting the past to the present. —Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026

Turn the heat to medium and toss well to coat the pasta, adding up to ¼ cup of the pasta water to thin it out a bit if necessary. —Demi Lovato, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026

The total applications add up to about $1 billion in application fees, according to Bier. —Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026

This status will pause collections efforts, but interest and penalties will keep adding up. —Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026

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