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
This line passes through the middle of some slice of the pizza: The number of the slice is the sum of the two numbers.
—
Anil Ananthaswamy, Quanta Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
For us, clearly the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
—Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
Cyber insurance provides financial protection, while MSPs can contribute to risk reduction, active protection and incident prevention—a combination greater than the sum of its parts.
—Dor Eisner, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The production whole is greater than the sum of its co-production parts.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
However, short breaks consisting of 5 to 20 minutes when offered by employers are to be considered compensable work hours that would be included in the sum of hours worked during the workweek and considered in determining if overtime was worked.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2024
This donation is the sum of 136 hours of his labor in the prison working as a porter/janitor.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
The main goal of the study was better pain relief than a placebo on a measure known as the sum of the pain intensity difference from 0 to 48 hours, or SPID48.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024
White wine vinegar and Dijon mustard provide a good dose of acidity, while the bacon grease adds a hint of smoky savoriness, all joining forces to become dressing that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Anil Ananthaswamy, Quanta Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
For us, clearly the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
—Hadley Meares, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Apr. 2024
Cyber insurance provides financial protection, while MSPs can contribute to risk reduction, active protection and incident prevention—a combination greater than the sum of its parts.
—Dor Eisner, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The production whole is greater than the sum of its co-production parts.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
However, short breaks consisting of 5 to 20 minutes when offered by employers are to be considered compensable work hours that would be included in the sum of hours worked during the workweek and considered in determining if overtime was worked.
—Chris Sims, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2024
This donation is the sum of 136 hours of his labor in the prison working as a porter/janitor.
—Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
The main goal of the study was better pain relief than a placebo on a measure known as the sum of the pain intensity difference from 0 to 48 hours, or SPID48.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024
White wine vinegar and Dijon mustard provide a good dose of acidity, while the bacon grease adds a hint of smoky savoriness, all joining forces to become dressing that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the sum of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“The sum of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sum%20of. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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