From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsum up phrasal verb1 SUMMARIZEto give the main information in a report, speech etc in a short statement at the end SYN summarize Gerald will open the debate and I will sum up.to sum up To sum up, for a healthy heart you must take regular exercise and stop smoking.sum something ↔ up In your final paragraph, sum up your argument.2 when a judge sums up or sums up the case at the end of a trial, he or she explains the main facts of the case → summing-up3 sum something ↔ up to describe something using only a few words SYN summarize The city’s problem can be summed up in three words: too many people.4 sum something ↔ up to show the most typical qualities of someone or something That image sums up the whole film.5 sum somebody/something ↔ upJUDGE to form a judgment or opinion about someone or something SYN assess Pat summed up the situation at a glance.6 that (about) sums it up spokenFINISH/COME TO AN END used to say that a description of a situation is correct ‘So you want us to help you change but you don’t believe change is possible?’ ‘That about sums it up.’ → sum→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
sum up• The Chairman's job was to introduce the speakers and to sum up at the end of the debate.• I couldn't have summed it up better.• The last section of the report sums up the arguments on both sides.• In these few words the president summed up the feelings of the whole nation.to sum up• This great work, appearing over a quarter of a century, was intended to sum up all available knowledge.• But to sum up, he is beginning to feel that lawyers have contributed significantly to the disintegration of our country.• The room seemed to sum up his life: his future seemed as bleak as this cubicle.• In Whitehall, three words came to sum up the appointments policy.• Three words to sum up the feelings of the Hereford fans on Saturday.• It is possible to sum up the Pauline arguments in terms of two directives.• Positive thought for the day On this last day I want to sum up the things we have discussed.• In trying to sum up what this Green Movement is you need to distinguish between two important polarities, or tendencies.that (about) sums it up• This was their task but that sums it up too simply.From Longman Business Dictionarysum up phrasal verb1[intransitive, transitive] sum something → up to give the main information about a report, speech etc in a short statementThe report is 260 pages long, but its message can be summed up in three words: “Keep standards high”.To sum up, I suggest that if you are investing a sizeable amount for the first time, put it into two or three UK-based funds.2[intransitive]LAW when a judge sums up, he or she makes a statement at the end of a trial giving the main facts of the trialSumming up, the coroner praised the police for their investigation. → sum→ See Verb table 