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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Those fees have added up to more than $324 million since January, according to the research firm Chainalysis. David Ingram, NBC news, 23 May 2025 That would add up to about $12 million by year's end. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 May 2025 Expenses like loans, insurance, utilities and labor still add up. Bob Rauch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2025 All of that adds up to him leading the field on both the leaderboard and on the stat sheet. Jack Milko, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for add up

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of add up was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Add up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/add%20up. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on add up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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