add up
verb
added up; adding up; adds up
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
: 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
More mandatory spending plus less revenue plus soaring interest costs on a hefty preexisting debt load add up to a big problem. —
Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 But a combination of catchy memes, holiday excursions, and earnest seminars don’t add up to a broad détente between the US and China. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026 How to save money on pest control services Pest control services can add up, but there are several ways to save money. —Ana Durrani, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 If oil prices hover around $100 a barrel for the foreseeable future, profits this year could add up to $264 billion, the analysis found. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for add up
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.
Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026 But a combination of catchy memes, holiday excursions, and earnest seminars don’t add up to a broad détente between the US and China. —Andy Browne, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026 How to save money on pest control services Pest control services can add up, but there are several ways to save money. —Ana Durrani, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 If oil prices hover around $100 a barrel for the foreseeable future, profits this year could add up to $264 billion, the analysis found. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for add up
Cite this Entry
“Add up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/add%20up. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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