the sum of
idiom
1
: an amount of (money)
I paid the sum of $500.
2
: the result of (adding two or more numbers together)
The sum of 5 and 7 is 12
3
: all there is of : the whole amount of
Working odd summer jobs has been the sum of my experience so far.
Examples of the sum of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Blackhawks were pesky and energetic, intent on getting their sticks on every available puck, winning battles and looking greater than the sum of their parts.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
In a landscape of darkness, dreams, and drink, this novel is more than the sum of its eerie parts.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
From Animal’s fiery outbursts to Beaker’s emotional silence, the Muppets are proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts… or in their case, the sum of its puppets.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
But the show never adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the sum of
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Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
In a landscape of darkness, dreams, and drink, this novel is more than the sum of its eerie parts.
—Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
From Animal’s fiery outbursts to Beaker’s emotional silence, the Muppets are proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts… or in their case, the sum of its puppets.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
But the show never adds up to more than the sum of its parts.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the sum of
Cite this Entry
“The sum of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sum%20of. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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