adds up (to)

present tense third-person singular of add up (to)
1
as in comes (to)
to be the same in meaning or effect 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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in numbers
to have a total of even if we pool all our money, it won't add up to enough to rent a beach house for a week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adds up (to)
Verb
  • Chelsea’s less selective approach to selling within the Premier League means Arsenal have sent £149million to their fellow Londoners, more than to any other domestic rivals.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Terrific—carry on with your chubby little juice grenades and tell your partner that love means never criticizing someone’s convenience foods.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • These protests attracted the interest of the Council of Europe, the international organisation set up in 1949 to uphold human rights and the rule of law in Europe which now numbers 46 members, including the United Kingdom.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Launched in 1973 in Scotts Valley, the Erik’s empire now numbers 29 restaurants and stretches from the Monterey Peninsula to Sacramento County.
    Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In total, the government now owes the equivalent of $113,000 per person, according to USAFacts, a nonprofit civic initiative cofounded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer which aggregates and analyzes government data.
    Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • That database aggregates public records, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and other data, such as criminal history.
    Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • This show, which comprises some 120 paintings, works on paper, and personal ephemera, at last acknowledges her place in the pantheon.
    Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The drama’s cast also comprises Massimiliano Balduzzi, Sebastien Halnaut and Cisky Capizzi.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Adds up (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adds%20up%20%28to%29. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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