1
as in total
a complete amount of something
the sum of human knowledge on that subject
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
the district attorney delivered a sum of the evidence against the accused that was simply staggering
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in height
the highest part or point
he declared that he had reached the sum of joy when his newborn daughter was laid in his arms
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in essence
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
the sum of the issue is: who will pay for this?
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as in to add
to combine (numbers) into a single sum
can sum figures in his head faster than I can punch them into a calculator
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Examples of sum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024
The bid required the city to put forward an irrevocable letter of credit of $30 million, in case the host committee fell short of its nearly $85 million obligation – a record-breaking sum – and convince party officials to recommend Chicago over Atlanta, Houston and New York.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2024
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 25 July 2024
Write a bunch of numbers in a column, draw a horizontal line underneath, and Notes will sum them up for you automatically.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sum 
Noun
But what does that sum look like for most Arizonans?
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2024
The bid required the city to put forward an irrevocable letter of credit of $30 million, in case the host committee fell short of its nearly $85 million obligation – a record-breaking sum – and convince party officials to recommend Chicago over Atlanta, Houston and New York.
—Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2024
Verb
Here’s an attempt to sum it up in plain English: Most software today relies on open-source components called container images, which are the standard packaging format generally used to deploy software in the cloud.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 25 July 2024
Write a bunch of numbers in a column, draw a horizontal line underneath, and Notes will sum them up for you automatically.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sum
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sum.' 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
“Sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sum. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
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