do the math

verb

To perform a mathematical calculation.

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Meanings

verbdo the math (third-person singular simple present does the math, present participle doing the math, simple past did the math, past participle done the math)

present singular third person does the math · participle present doing the math · past did the math · participle past done the math · alternative UK do the maths

  1. USTo perform a mathematical calculation.

    Before my family left for Rome, I did the math. Over 11 days, with a lunch and a light dinner, each of us could taste approximately 55 dishes.

    2002 February 17, Amanda Hesser, “Food Diary: Local Hero”, in New York Times, retrieved 18 Dec 2018
  2. USidiomaticTo determine the explanation for or precise nature of a situation, such as the motive underlying someone's behavior, based on available facts.

    “I can’t tell you what we’re going back to consider,” said Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor assigned to the case, who cited Texas law regarding grand jury secrecy. “But you can do the math and figure out what it is.”

    2015 December 22, Mitch Smith, “Sandra Bland’s Family Calls for Criminal Charges Against Texas Trooper”, in New York Times, retrieved 18 Dec 2018
    2 more examples

    Gore has looked into buying cable channel News World International. Despite initial reports, Gore's camp says he and his backers intend to make the channel not a liberal mouthpiece but a "hip" news channel. […] Maybe; maybe not. (Gore has long complained about the undue influence of conservatives on talk radio and Fox News, so you do the math.)

    2003 November 16, James Poniewozik, “All The News That Fits Your Reality”, in Time, retrieved 18 Dec 2018

    “The child has marks all over. I saw them when I took her to the bathroom. Ian, she is hurting this child. Now I don't know for sure what's going on here, and maybe it's none of my business. Nevertheless, even I can do the math. […] You can't let her keep this child for one more day.”

    2012, Racine Lavelle, Embracing the Wolf, →ISBN, page 117

Translations

Danish lægge to og to sammen
  • lægge to og to sammento figure it out yourself
Finnish päätellä loput
  • päätellä loputto figure it out yourself
French se rendre à l'évidence
  • se rendre à l'évidenceto figure it out yourself
German überzeuge dich selbst, rechne es dir selbst aus
  • überzeuge dich selbstto figure it out yourself
  • rechne es dir selbst austo figure it out yourself
Norwegian Bokmål legge sammen to og to
  • legge sammen to og toto figure it out yourself
Portuguese fazer as contas
  • fazer as contasto figure it out yourself
Russian сложи́ть два плюс два
  • сложи́ть два плюс два (složítʹ dva pljus dva)to figure it out yourself
Spanish sacar la cuenta, hacer números
  • sacar la cuentato figure it out yourself
  • hacer númerosto figure it out yourself
  • echar númerosto figure it out yourself
  • echar cuentasto figure it out yourself
Cite this entry
APA

do the math. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20math

MLA

“do the math.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20math. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “do the math,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/do%20the%20math.

Source: do the math on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.