sum up
To quickly explain the most important parts of something in a short way.
Meanings
To give a concise summary of the main points of a speech, argument, or discussion.
"To sum up, we need to cut costs, improve marketing, and focus on our core products."
"To sum up: physics is concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter, space, and time."
— Stephen Hawking, 'A Brief History of Time', 1988
(Law) Of a judge: to review the evidence and key legal points for the jury at the end of a trial.
"The judge summed up the case for the jury, reminding them of the key pieces of evidence."
To quickly and accurately assess someone's character or a situation.
"She summed him up in an instant: charming on the surface, but not to be trusted."
Very common in presentations, debates, legal contexts ('the judge summed up'), and academic writing. Can be used with or without an object. The phrase 'to sum up' is frequently used as a discourse marker to introduce a conclusion or summary.
Commonly used with
Forms
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