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

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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 .

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Example Sentences

Altogether, the company’s capex will add up to about $200 billion this year.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

Jordan Jr., Mizell’s godson, won an appeal last year to overturn his conviction, with a judge finding that the prosecutors’ case against him didn’t add up.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

However, when it comes to package holidays, tour operators can add up to 8% to the cost of your deal after you've booked, based on a "significant rise in fuel costs", says Boland.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

In addition, their years of employment at the company combined with their age must add up to 70 or more.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

And what Blink is—what all the stories and studies and arguments add up to—is an attempt to understand this magical and mysterious thing called judgment.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

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