Idiom
make up the numbers
Meaning
To provide sufficient people to make an event worthwhile.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“We need one more player to make up the numbers.”
“I do not really play tennis well, but I joined the club to make up the numbers for the tournament.”
“Although he lacked any genuine interest in the committee's mission, he attended the meeting simply to make up the numbers required for a quorum.”
Examples
simple
“We need one more player to make up the numbers.”
contextual
“I do not really play tennis well, but I joined the club to make up the numbers for the tournament.”
complex
“Although he lacked any genuine interest in the committee's mission, he attended the meeting simply to make up the numbers required for a quorum.”
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated