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
Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
In the midst of a contentious sale to Netflix, the 102-year-old studio had its best Oscar nominations mornings ever, with 33 total nods.
—Jake Coyle The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Big snow totals The second long-range model, the American (GFS), has the heaviest snow stretching from Tennessee through Delaware.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 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
Today the reserve is home to 23 breeding pairs of red-fronted macaws, about 13 percent of the species’ total reproductive population, as well as 200 other bird species including Andean condors and peregrine falcons.
—Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
In the midst of a contentious sale to Netflix, the 102-year-old studio had its best Oscar nominations mornings ever, with 33 total nods.
—Jake Coyle The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
Each person can enter a total of three times per day, regardless of entry method.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Big snow totals The second long-range model, the American (GFS), has the heaviest snow stretching from Tennessee through Delaware.
—Bill Kelly, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Boston attempted 30 foul shots in Monday’s road loss to Detroit and totaled 25 against the Pacers.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Prosecutors said that in December 2024, Mexican authorities raided multiple fentanyl production labs across Sinaloa that were allegedly controlled by the father and son and made the world’s largest ever fentanyl seizure, which totaled more than 3,300 pounds of the ultra-potent drug.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 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 23 Jan. 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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