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

And that in turn turns into more of the extra work and all that stuff adds up. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

All of this adds up to a smarter approach to manufacturing and production, as well as a more resilient operation when challenges hit. — Rick Elliott, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

What salicylic acid does for your skin The exfoliating, keratolytic and anti-inflammatory effects add up to a long list of benefits, according to Very Well Health. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026

Albemarle’s Kings Mountain facility, which has nearly 200 employees, is expected to add up to 400 jobs once mining begins. — Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 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