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
Synonyms
Examples of add up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The expenses added up, but Bob’s job and Mary Susan’s work as an artist and blogger kept them afloat.
—
Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
With projects calling for thousands of coral to be planted over the next year and tens of thousands of coral to be planted over the next decade, the losses add up when coral pieces can cost more than $100 each.
—David Fischer, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Blair has often railed against an education system where rising tuition fees and falling standards mean that for many, the calculation of further studying doesn’t add up.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
The remaining 10 percent is non-recyclable, which adds up to almost 400 tons of trash each month that must be manually pulled off the sort line and hauled to the landfill.
—Cynthia Sewell, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024
The money, paid from 2016 through 2022 — the most recent year for which the database shows payments — adds up to about $650,000.
—David Hilzenrath, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
With billions of searches daily, even 0.001 percent can add up to a lot of wrong information.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The only way to inoculate the 2024 election cycle from disinformation is for journalists and voters to stay focused on the most vulnerable local races, avoid national distractions, and look for the trends that could add up to something dangerous.
—Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The icing is exceptionally sweet, but those don’t add up to a balanced cake.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
With projects calling for thousands of coral to be planted over the next year and tens of thousands of coral to be planted over the next decade, the losses add up when coral pieces can cost more than $100 each.
—David Fischer, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Blair has often railed against an education system where rising tuition fees and falling standards mean that for many, the calculation of further studying doesn’t add up.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 9 Apr. 2024
The remaining 10 percent is non-recyclable, which adds up to almost 400 tons of trash each month that must be manually pulled off the sort line and hauled to the landfill.
—Cynthia Sewell, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024
The money, paid from 2016 through 2022 — the most recent year for which the database shows payments — adds up to about $650,000.
—David Hilzenrath, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
With billions of searches daily, even 0.001 percent can add up to a lot of wrong information.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
The only way to inoculate the 2024 election cycle from disinformation is for journalists and voters to stay focused on the most vulnerable local races, avoid national distractions, and look for the trends that could add up to something dangerous.
—Meg Little Reilly, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The icing is exceptionally sweet, but those don’t add up to a balanced cake.
—Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'add up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Add up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/add%20up. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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