1
as in total
a complete amount of something
the sum of human knowledge on that subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sum
Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Israeli officials recently put a unique 14th-century Bible on display just a year after it was bought for a seven-figure sum.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Trailing 1-0, nothing summed it up so well as Harry Maguire masquerading as a forward again, a Hail Mary that can only work so often.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sum
Noun
Its students come mostly from working-class families and tuition per term is roughly $300, a substantial sum in a country where GDP per capita was about $1,000 in 2023.
—Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Israeli officials recently put a unique 14th-century Bible on display just a year after it was bought for a seven-figure sum.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
Mishra sums it up by saying that nobody outside of India gets the concept of caste (without denying that privileged upper caste Indians don’t get it either).
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Trailing 1-0, nothing summed it up so well as Harry Maguire masquerading as a forward again, a Hail Mary that can only work so often.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sum
Noun
-
Between June 8 and Monday, June 16, the two vessels conducted a total of 290 and 230 aircraft takeoffs and landings, respectively, involving their fighter jets and helicopters.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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But the two most progressive candidates in the primary, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, got a combined total of more votes, at 37%.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The firm can, however, use it to extract relevant points from contracts, create summaries of relevant prior case law, and flag up risks.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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The Massachusetts Family Institute highlighted in a summary of a legislative hearing held earlier this month that 59 of 70 people had testified in opposition to the bills that look to increase vaccination requirements and reporting standards.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
16 June 2025
Noun
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But one who does not consistently reach such heights is Alfred Caldwell.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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In 2022, Rotterdam’s historic De Hef bridge was temporarily dismantled to accommodate the yacht Before Bezos set sail on Koru, a historic bridge in the Netherlands needed to be temporarily altered to accommodate the yacht's height.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Peter Orner, Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margins (Catapult) Orner is a virtuoso of subtlety, nuance, and essence.—
Donna Seaman
June 18,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
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In essence, all this accomplishes is to enable some devious shopkeepers to charge their fellow Jews even more money in these challenging times for adhering to dietary laws.—
Michael Isaacson,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Verb
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By landing Bane, the Magic add a sharpshooter who addresses one of Orlando’s biggest needs on the court.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2025
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The e-commerce giant has been working on an overhaul for the past several months, the CNBC report said, adding that Amazon has not conducted any broad layoffs as part of this reorganization.—
Siddhi Mahatole,
USA Today,
15 June 2025
Noun
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That's within a few seconds of the maximum totality possible in the path of totality in Iceland, which encompasses the Westfjords, Snæfellsnes and the Reykjanes Peninsula, home to the country's capital, Reykjavík.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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That will be a scientific bonanza since full solar eclipses produce just a few minutes of totality when the moon lines up perfectly between Earth and the sun — on average just once every 18 months.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2025
Noun
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As far back as a decade ago, when Villeneuve was on the promotion trail for Sicario, the Canadian said that action is art — and Bond is the very pinnacle of the genre.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
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Whether your passion is for Oregon’s superlative Pinot noir or California’s world-class Bordeaux blends, these wines are truly at the pinnacle of American winemaking.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The billion-dollar tourist attraction with south Texas roots has been inching north into other states and is on track to start building a new location off Village West Parkway in KCK this year.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
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With restaurants and humanitarian missions around the world, Chef José Andrés is globally renowned but always returns to his birthplace, Asturias, to reconnect with his roots.—
Rana Good,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sum. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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