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
He grows as serious as ’tis possible for a madman, and pretends to sum-up the whole state of the controversy with the Nonconformists.
From Andrew Marvell by John Morley
How would you sum up your investment thesis for infrastructure investment, whether software or hardware?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Critic W. David Marx, looking to sum up the curiously stagnant opening decades of the 21st century, cribbed a phrase from one of its enduring icons for the title of his book “Blank Space.”
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
It’s inconceivable to sum up her catalog in just an LP’s worth of tunes, but this list offers a place to start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The judge, Paul Ramsey, will then sum up the case and direct the jury on Thursday.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
“To sum up, sir,” said Wemmick, “Mr. Jaggers was altogether too many for the jury, and they gave in.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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.
