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
Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
In 2024, there were 285 total cases nationwide with no deaths reported by the CDC.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
For anyone doing this for the first time, do be warned this station is extremely small with just six ticket barriers in total.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
David Prosser, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The two locations total over 150,000 square feet of parts and stock nearly $25 million in parts inventory.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Dallas News, 26 Sep. 2022
Phiaton rates the buds as offering 11 hours if continuous use, and up to 28 hours total with the charging case.
—Andy Meek, BGR, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for total
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Adjective
The double-digit number of people laid off may be a small fraction of the 10,000 total layoffs at HHS, but the cuts included the person who determines what funds each state receives for the program.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
In 2024, there were 285 total cases nationwide with no deaths reported by the CDC.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
The vote is not included in the vote total, but their positions are published in the Congressional Record.
—Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
For anyone doing this for the first time, do be warned this station is extremely small with just six ticket barriers in total.
—Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
The company’s revenues totalled only $3 million in 2023, the year after its shift of emphasis, but grew almost seven times’ last year to reach $20 million.
—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The two locations total over 150,000 square feet of parts and stock nearly $25 million in parts inventory.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Dunning upped his innings pitched total from 117 in 2021 to 153, which was the biggest marker of progress for him on the season.
—Dallas News, 26 Sep. 2022
Phiaton rates the buds as offering 11 hours if continuous use, and up to 28 hours total with the charging case.
—Andy Meek, BGR, 22 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for total
Cite this Entry
“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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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