totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling
Examples of total in a Sentence
Adjective
a total lack of support
a total eclipse of the sun
He demanded total control of the project.
What was the total amount of the bill?
the total number of words
The country has a total population of about 100 million.
Noun
a total of 25 square miles
that's the total for our wheat harvest this year
Verb
He carefully totaled the bill.
two and two total four
Recent Examples on the Web
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
In total, Avalo’s 5-acre field has 500 varieties of cotton.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
If the stars align, Scheifele will pass Hawerchuk’s points total on the outdoor ice at Princess Auto Stadium next season, where Hawerchuk put on a show at the 2016 Heritage Classic against Edmonton.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The thefts are estimated to total over $37,000, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
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Adjective
Starbucks expects the total value of its China retail business to exceed $13 billion, including the value of licenses, according to the statement.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
In total, Avalo’s 5-acre field has 500 varieties of cotton.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
Anthony Orion Dalton, 17, was sentenced on October 8 to a total of 9 years in prison, with 4 years suspended, after he was found in possession of a firearm on campus in April, according to an October 9 press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
If the stars align, Scheifele will pass Hawerchuk’s points total on the outdoor ice at Princess Auto Stadium next season, where Hawerchuk put on a show at the 2016 Heritage Classic against Edmonton.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Larson, the only Asian American to race full-time in NASCAR, has not won a race since May, totaling 24 consecutive races but thanked his crew chief Cliff Daniels for keeping the team together.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The thefts are estimated to total over $37,000, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
Collecting three weeks total atop the Billboard 200, Eternal Sunshine got a second life earlier this year with a deluxe edition released a few months after the November premiere of Wicked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
Cite this Entry
“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
total
1 of 3 adjective
to·tal
ˈtōt-ᵊl 
1
: of or relating to the whole of something
a total eclipse of the sun
2
: making up the whole
the total amount
3
: being such to the fullest degree
total ruin
4
: making use of every means to do something
total war
total
2 of 3 noun1
: a product of addition : sum
2
: an entire amount
total
3 of 3 verb
totaled or totalled; totaling or totalling
1
2
: to amount to
donations totaled $120
3
: to make a total wreck of
totaled the car
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