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 of add up

• come (to)
• correspond (to)
• amount (to)

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

Stocks and bonds are pretty easy to add up, but what about the value of a startup company that’s not listed on the stock market? — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

His story does not add up; there is even more weirdness among extended family, and the tragedies pile up. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Israel Alvarez, a high school student who takes a bus into downtown Miami each day, said an extra 50 cents each way adds up. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Paying for cloud storage month after month can add up to a sizable expense over time. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Rhymes for add up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

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