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

Official announcements claim that these investments total around $50 billion, although the value of the deals that have been signed falls closer to $9 billion, and the money actually moving adds up to around $4 billion. — Tom Moerenhout, Foreign Affairs, 4 Nov. 2026

Ross said many graduates also face the cost of paying for their degrees on top of their housing costs, which add up over time. — Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026

Business owners can also add up to 10 additional seats, for a total of 20 users. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026

If the sausage didn’t render enough fat, add up to 1/4 cup of corn or canola oil to the skillet before sautéing the mirepoix. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 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