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

All the apps, photos, music and other files on our devices can quickly add up, using up every byte of storage on our phones. —Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024

To his credit, Young pulls no punches on himself in this collection — the cringeworthy material is presented alongside the great stuff, adding up to a warts-and-all document of those challenging years. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024

All of that two-day shipping adds up—not to mention the cost of licensing (and even creating) digital media. —Aasim Saeed, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

That can only add up to a better learning environment for kids. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 3 Sep. 2024

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