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  • sum-up
    sum-up
    noun
    the act or result of summing up; summary.
  • sum up
    sum up
    verb
    to summarize (feelings, the main points of an argument, etc)
Synonyms

sum-up

American  
[suhm-uhp] / ˈsʌmˌʌp /
Or sumup

noun

  1. the act or result of summing up; summary.


sum up British  

verb

  1. to summarize (feelings, the main points of an argument, etc)

    the judge began to sum up

  2. (tr) to form a quick opinion of

    I summed him up in five minutes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sum up Idioms  
  1. Present the substance of, summarize, as in They always sum up the important news in a couple of minutes, or That expletive sums up my feelings about the matter. [Early 1600s]


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

That was the first word out of Mikel Arteta's mouth in his post-match news conference when asked how he would sum up the Champions League final defeat to Paris St-Germain in Budapest.

From BBC May 30, 2026

You can cherry-pick plenty of numbers to sum up the crises in the United Kingdom.

From Barron's May 29, 2026

And I have to do these scenes where I sum up the entire crime.

From Los Angeles Times May 28, 2026

Here are five numbers that sum up how this happened.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 23, 2026

It is not that difficult to sum up the distances that Achilles runs: 1 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + ...

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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