Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump to:
  • 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.

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

The coaches were asked to avoid asking her open-ended questions in the morning and to provide a sum-up at the end of team briefings to ensure they had been understood.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 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

No and yes, is not that the sum-up of all religious, political, or literary dissertations?

From The Magic Skin by Marriage, Ellen

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "sum-up" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com