greater/better/more than the sum of its parts

idiom

used to say that something is better or more effective as a team, combination, etc., than would be expected when looking at the different parts that form it
The team lacks standout players, but it has proved to be greater than the sum of its parts.

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Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez was also missing through injury but the likes of Julián Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister have proved stand-out performers in a team that has been wonderfully constructed by Lionel Scaloni to be even greater than the sum of its parts. Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 Panama - Adalberto Carrasquilla The 26-year-old is the midfield engine for a Panamanian squad that often produces results greater than the sum of its parts. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 This synergy can be a game-changing advantage, transforming each individual and the collective team into something greater than the sum of its parts. Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 Guerrero likens their artistic partnership to the one between she and Losa—a study in difference uniting in a whole that is even greater than the sum of its parts. Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for greater/better/more than the sum of its parts

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“Greater/better/more than the sum of its parts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greater%2Fbetter%2Fmore%20than%20the%20sum%20of%20its%20parts. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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