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
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
During the practice, people are instructed to either rest in the coffin in total silence or listen to soft music.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
Burnett suffered from a total of 10 gunshot wounds, a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday said.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Sales in Japan totaled 78 million euros, down 6 percent.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 11 Mar. 2026
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
California's total vineyard footprint was estimated at 477,475 acres in 2025, according to the California Association of Winegrape Growers, down from about 600,000 acres in recent years, based on earlier state estimates.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
During the practice, people are instructed to either rest in the coffin in total silence or listen to soft music.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
In total, over 20 key experts working on AXIS were removed from Goddard and from NASA entirely, significantly curtailing the team’s ability to execute.
—Big Think, 11 Mar. 2026
Burnett suffered from a total of 10 gunshot wounds, a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday said.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Adebayo was scorching hot from the start, totaling 31 points in Tuesday’s first quarter on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range and 6-of-7 shooting from the foul line.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Sales in Japan totaled 78 million euros, down 6 percent.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 11 Mar. 2026
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 14 Mar. 2026.
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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