Add to and Increase

Add to

Add to verb - To make greater in size, amount, or number.
Usage example: the need to be back home before 5:00 p.m. adds to the difficulty of arranging the trip

Increase is a synonym for add to in extend topic. In some cases you can use "Increase" instead a verb "Add to", when it comes to topics like expand, enlarge, augment.

Increase

Increase verb - To make greater in size, amount, or number.
Usage example: we have to increase the number of season-ticket holders if the local sports franchise is to survive

Add to is a synonym for increase in extend topic. You can use "Add to" instead a verb "Increase", if it concerns topics such as raise, expand, enlarge, augment.

Both terms in one sentence

  • Video Game / Homeworld Editing a savegame file to increase the amount of ships owned by the player's fleet will correspondingly add to the enemy's as well.
  • This is often why Third Line, Some Waiting and Four Lines, All Waiting bog down...the number of plot elements increase exponentially the more you add to the mix.
    Source: Dramatica
  • Even further averted in Mass Effect 3 since Paragon and Renegade now both add to the same bar, the Reputation bar, which can also be increased by getting non-alignment reputation points (which increase the size of the bar while maintaining the same Paragon to Renegade ratio).
Cite this Source
Increase and Add to. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/add_to/increase
Add to & Increase. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/add_to/increase>.
Increase or Add to. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/add_to/increase.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "add to" and "increase" have occurred on timeline