sum (redirected from sums up)

sum (something) up

to give a summary of something. I would like to sum this lecture up by listing the main points I have covered. It is time for me to sum up. She summed up the president's speech in three sentences.

See also: up

sum and substance

a summary; the gist. Can you quickly tell me the sum and substance of your proposal? In trying to explain the sum and substance of the essay, Thomas failed to mention the middle name of the hero.

See also: and, substance

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a zero-sum game

a situation where two people compete and if one of them wins anything, exactly the same must be lost by the other Radio has become a zero-sum game, with stations gaining listeners only at each other's expense.

See also: game

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in sum See: in summary

in summary (slightly formal) also in sum

briefly In summary, this book is a good introduction to bird watching.

sum up (something) also sum something up

to give a brief but complete statement The last paragraph should sum up the main points of your argument. He's a small man with a big ego - that about sums him up. To sum up, Eleanor has promised to revise the designs, and Bernard will finalize the text.

See also: up