add up

verb

added up; adding up; adds up
Synonyms of add upnext

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

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
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.
Still, there’s more to understand about how these interactions add up on this factory line. — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026 That's roughly 60% more than just five years ago, and adds up to 31% of a caregiver's income, on average. — Kat McGowan, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026 That added up to roughly $27,000 or more in expenses, based on the attorneys’ average hourly rate for each billing period. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026 Taken together, that only adds up to a fraction of what victims have lost. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for add up

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of add up was in 1850

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Add up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/add%20up. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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
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