add up
Britishverb
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to find the sum (of)
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(intr) to result in a correct total
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informal (intr) to make sense
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to amount to
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Amount to an expected or correct total, as in These figures don't add up , meaning they are not correct. [Mid-1800s]
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Be consistent, make sense, as in I'm not sure that all this testimony will add up . [First half of 1900s]
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Assess, form an opinion of, as in He looked across the track and added up the competition . Also see add up to .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With some ships requiring the equivalent of millions of gallons of fuel after they drop off and pick up cargo, the extra costs add up.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
A wider bid/ask typically means less liquidity, or trading volume, and transaction costs can add up for active investors and spreads can widen further in volatile markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026
The forgone wages and benefits of these retirees add up to an estimated $201 billion annually and the loss of payroll contributions represents a $356 million hit to federal tax revenue, Implan estimates.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Speaking on Monday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there was "still a lot of information that doesn't add up".
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
After I talk to Sheila, I don't see how the facts can add up to anything.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
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.
