greater/better/more than the sum of its parts

idiom

—used to say that something is better or more effective as a team, combination, etc., than would be expected when looking at the different parts that form it

The team lacks standout players, but it has proved to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Examples of greater/better/more than the sum of its parts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Occasionally, though, a new vehicle is revealed that is far more than the sum of its parts; one that not only carries the legacy of the marque but, more importantly, could determine its very viability down the road. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2023

All those things happened together and the look became greater than the sum of its parts somehow. —Monica Corcoran Harel, Variety, 9 Mar. 2023

For two artists whose singles have been consistently satisfying, but maybe a little too clipped and weightless for certain pop audiences to really give them full consideration, the combination ends up being more than the sum of its parts. —Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2023

But the finished product is something special – the sweetness of the chocolate, the flake of the croissant and the tang of the sourdough work together to become more than the sum of its parts. —oregonlive, 20 July 2023

The traditional Italian combination of nothing more than tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper is a textbook case of something that, when made well, can taste like so much more than the sum of its parts. —Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 2 July 2023

While there will be vendors, performances, meet-and-greets, wig and sewing workshops and more, at its core, RuPaul’s DragCon is so much more than the sum of its parts. —Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023

Our final impression after a tour aboard: The Absolute 52 Fly was more than the sum of its parts. —Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2023

When done thoughtfully, the combination can yield an output greater than the sum of its parts. —Jeff Yasuda, Forbes, 17 July 2023

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