sum total

Definition of sum totalnext
as in total
a complete amount of something in this case the sum total of physical evidence that a crime has been committed wouldn't fill a thimble

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sum total The report did not provide details on when, where and how funds were spent, only sum totals for each district. — Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025 His incendiary rhymes, which boldly call out the atrocities carried out by the country’s dictatorial regime, have resulted in multiple arrests and extended stretches in prison over the last five years, for a sum total of 753 days. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025 Apple’s portfolio picked up a sum total of zero Macs in the critical last three months. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2023 Conversely, their sum total energy is higher if their spins are pointing in opposite directions. — Peter McMahon, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Nov. 2018 See All Example Sentences for sum total
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sum total
Noun
  • In total, the UK spent £145 billion on benefits for working-age people and children – including incapacity and disability benefits (£77 billion); housing benefit (£37 billion); and child benefit (£13 billion).
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In total, authorities took six individuals into custody and later released them on bail during the investigation.
    — Azhar Sukri,Terri Cullen, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • That’s not a typo—$3 billion is indeed the sum that billionaire collector Ken Griffin donated to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Today, Blackwood’s brand is worth a hefty sum, with new handbags released every season and custom couture underway for the famous and forward thinking.
    — Camille Okhio, Architectural Digest, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Gullar had in mind something that would escape the boundary between object and context and manifest its participation in a totality of relationships—or encounters, as Lee would phrase it.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The totality of the thing is exhausting, yet as is common in durational experiences of art, meaning and unexpected contradictions emerged.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Fans didn't picture their team rushing for a grand total of 17 yards.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This is not a hot take or niche opinion; throughout his career, the man has been nominated for a grand total of 10 Emmys and has won four.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In just its first two days, the feature-length doc racked up 9 million views, the streamer reported on Tuesday, second only to Millie Bobby Brown threequel Enola Holmes 3 (12 million views over the fulls even days).
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
  • To apply with your hands, dispense two dropper fulls, rub the palms of your hands together, and then evenly rub into your face and neck—just don’t forget to wash your hands when you’re done.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 June 2025
Noun
  • The mark is not a single mark at all but an accumulation of marks that coheres into a whole by theatrically—even illusionistically—representing itself as a single brushstroke.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • On a political level, Shelley’s monster pandemic served as a warning of what horrifying fates might await the whole of humanity if conflict and irresponsibility were left unchecked worldwide.
    — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sum total.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sum%20total. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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