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
Steve Karnowski The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2026
That takes the party’s total number of seats in the House of Commons to five out of 650.
—CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
In total, the Tax Foundation estimates tariffs increased the average American household’s tax payments by $1,000 last year.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Rosemount ratcheted up its pressure in the final five minutes of the period but could not put one past Ryan, despite recording 12 shots on goal after totaling just six in the first.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 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
One Minnesota federal prosecutor last summer estimated that the total fraud across several programs could exceed $9 billion.
—Steve Karnowski The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2026
That takes the party’s total number of seats in the House of Commons to five out of 650.
—CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
While parts of the state were hammered by Monday’s blizzard, snowfall totals in Boston were below the two feet that fell in late January’s massive storm.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
In total, the Tax Foundation estimates tariffs increased the average American household’s tax payments by $1,000 last year.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
The Celtics also held a massive edge in offensive rebounding (22-9) and totaled just eight turnovers against a Suns team that forces more than 16 per game (third-most in the NBA).
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Rosemount ratcheted up its pressure in the final five minutes of the period but could not put one past Ryan, despite recording 12 shots on goal after totaling just six in the first.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 25 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 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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