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

• amount (to)
• come (to)
• correspond (to)
• emulate
• equal

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

In total, German exports added up to 1.56 trillion euros last year, a 1.2% decline compared with 2023. —Associated Press, TIME, 19 Feb. 2025

Though the law is directed at ByteDance, the Chinese entity that owns the popular app, Google and Apple are expected to enforce a ban by removing the app from their stores—or pay fines that could quickly add up to billions of dollars. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told News Nation about 77,000 federal employees accepted the offer, adding up to about 5% of the federal workforce. —Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 14 Feb. 2025

Battery life for the aids is specified at 17 hours of continuous use, and Zepp Clarity says the case adds up to two more weeks—336 hours—of additional capacity. —Christopher Null, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

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