Round up means to gather people or animals in one place, and also to round a number upwards. The first meaning covers children on a day out, a flock of sheep, suspects detained by the police. The second is about bills and figures: 3.6 → 4.
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round up + people/animals; round + them + up; round up + number (to + number); round down
- Can you round up the kids? Dinner will be ready in five minutes.
- The farmer rounded up the sheep before the storm reached the hills.
- The bill came to £47.60, so we rounded it up to £50 and left a tip.
What changed
First versionThe average is 3.2, so if we round it up, we get 3.
RevisionThe average is 3.2, so if we round it down, we get 3.
Up means “higher”, so round up only goes to a bigger number: 3.2 becomes 4, not 3. To go to a smaller number, use round down. For a neutral “to the nearest whole number”, say round or round off.
Written as one word, roundup is a noun: a short summary of news or events. Our weekly roundup covers the main sports results. The verb is written as two words: round up the team.
Your turn
The taxi cost £18.40, and I gave the driver £20 because I ___ the fare.
Show the answer
rounded up — The driver got £20 instead of £18.40, so the amount went up to a round figure: rounded up. Rounded down would mean paying less, for example £18.
Describe a time when you had to get people together: a trip, a party, a family dinner. Say who you gathered and why.
At the end of our office picnic, I rounded up the whole team for a group photo before people started leaving.
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