sum-up
noun
the act or result of summing up; summary.
sum-up
American
[suhm-uhp]
/ ˈsʌmˌʌp /
Or
sumup
noun
sum up
British
verb
-
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
sum up
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of sum-up
First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase sum up
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.
See Examples For:
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
In her absence, Mrs. Bindle proceeded to sum-up her character from the evidence that her home contained.
From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Jenkins, Hebert
And I have to do these scenes where I sum up the entire crime.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Asked to sum up their concerns, one told us: "It just felt like the community was pushed to the side and it shifted into a commercial venture to inflate the egos of those in charge."
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
Here are five numbers that sum up how this happened.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
If I had to sum up recent market action with a film title, I might pick the 2022 absurdist award-winner Everything Everywhere All at Once External link.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
How do I sum up my life in eight words?
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
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.
