to summarize (feelings, the main points of an argument, etc)
the judge began to sum up
(tr) to form a quick opinion of
I summed him up in five minutes
First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase sum up
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mistakes and missed chances will sum-up this failed Chiefs season, and in some eyes it will tarnish the previously almost flawless Mahomes legacy.
From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025
Still, I was in awe of how quickly and seamlessly these entire presentations came together day after day, drawing from full-on hours of multiple sports to give you a tidy sum-up the very next day.
From Slate • Aug. 10, 2024
A cogent sum-up in the column came from former Washington Monthly editor Charles Peters:
From Salon • Dec. 5, 2018
In a voxpop video at the entrance to the exhibition, Edna Croft attempts to sum-up freemasonry: "It used to be rather sinister and secretive, but they've made desperate attempts to prove they're just a charity."
From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2013
The sum-up is as important a part of the sales letter as it is of the lawyer's speech or brief.
From Business Correspondence by Anonymous
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
