add up

British  

verb

1. to find the sum (of)

2. (intr) to result in a correct total

3. informal (intr) to make sense

4. to amount to

---

add up Idioms  

1. Amount to an expected or correct total, as in These figures don't add up , meaning they are not correct. [Mid-1800s]

2. Be consistent, make sense, as in I'm not sure that all this testimony will add up . [First half of 1900s]

3. Assess, form an opinion of, as in He looked across the track and added up the competition . Also see add up to .

---

Example Sentences

The chain, pleased with last year’s sales, plans to add up to 20 new stores in 2026.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

For Brandon Guillebeaux, a longtime resident of this heavily Hispanic community, the trade-offs simply didn't add up.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Already, the costs are starting to add up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Over 30 years, all that interest will add up.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Each word is a naked patch of him, and I want so badly to add up all the bread crumbs I have and make sense of him.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

Related Words

• confirm
• convince
• demonstrate
• determine
• explain
• find
• justify
• result
• show
• substantiate
• test
• try
• turn out
• validate
• verify