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
But the Finns have always been the epitome of being better than the sum of their parts in international hockey.
—
Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
For Enwezor, Simpson’s work bears witness to a passage from representation to historicity in the course of which an individual becomes a metaphor for a group that is more than the sum of its parts.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Hunnam’s communion with Gein is far greater than the sum of its parts — an actor-subject duet that generates tension, fear and melancholy too.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
The point of sourcing from multiple plots is to create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the sum of
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Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
For Enwezor, Simpson’s work bears witness to a passage from representation to historicity in the course of which an individual becomes a metaphor for a group that is more than the sum of its parts.
—Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Hunnam’s communion with Gein is far greater than the sum of its parts — an actor-subject duet that generates tension, fear and melancholy too.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
The point of sourcing from multiple plots is to create something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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