How to Use greater/better/more than the sum of its parts in a Sentence

greater/better/more than the sum of its parts

idiom
  • So that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 28 June 2023
  • The whole was so much greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The whole isn’t always greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 30 Sep. 2024
  • But as with the best stories, the truth is more than the sum of its parts.
    — Anna Washenko, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024
  • The axis of the sanctioned will be more than the sum of its parts.
    — Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 6 Oct. 2023
  • Now this is a recipe truly greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2023
  • The benefits of this swarm are greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
  • This is the first of the group’s projects to sound greater than the sum of its parts, to feel singular.
    — Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2021
  • The filling becomes much greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Chandler Boese, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2024
  • He’s always punched above his weight and made a team more than the sum of its parts.
    — Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
  • And those virtues and talents combine to form a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 8 Apr. 2023
  • Topped with a layer of chocolate ganache, this crust is much more than the sum of its parts.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Sonically, though, the duo is greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2022
  • Used as a guesthouse, just as his mom had hoped, the cottage is now much more than the sum of its parts.
    — Amanda Sims Clifford, House Beautiful, 26 Jan. 2023
  • But food, like other aspects of culture, is more than the sum of its parts.
    — Emiene Wright, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024
  • After all, just like any team, a company's brand is worth more than the sum of its parts.
    — Aimee Meester, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
  • The works in the show involve actual art and actual science, and the whole is more than the sum of its parts.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 20 Sep. 2024
  • Its power comes from a shared sense of community that is more than the sum of its parts.
    — J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Leave room for chè chuối, a dessert of tapioca, coconut and banana that is more than the sum of its parts ($11).
    — Chelsea Conaboy, New York Times, 20 June 2024
  • Of course, a great hotel is greater than the sum of its parts, no matter how exquisite those parts may be.
    — Peter Terzian, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2021
  • Here, each voice works to create something greater than the sum of its parts, which is rare for supergroups.
    — Bobby Olivier, SPIN, 31 Mar. 2023
  • All those things happened together and the look became greater than the sum of its parts somehow.
    — Monica Corcoran Harel, Variety, 9 Mar. 2023
  • But Apple is betting that its AI offering will be greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 June 2024
  • Here’s more: As a whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, so a complete poem is richer than the sum of all the things that can be said about its passages.
    — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
  • The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts, as each modality has its own strengths, which reflect onto the others.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
  • What happens when three powerhouse women join forces to build something greater than the sum of its parts?
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Our final impression after a tour aboard: The Absolute 52 Fly was more than the sum of its parts.
    — Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2023
  • On this latest evidence, Leeds have secured a net profit on and off the field — this year’s squad is proving greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Beren Cross, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025
  • When done thoughtfully, the combination can yield an output greater than the sum of its parts.
    — Jeff Yasuda, Forbes, 17 July 2023
  • So many companies use this structure, because it's been demonstrated that a team is more than the sum of its parts.
    — Jennifer Shewan, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greater/better/more than the sum of its parts.' 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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