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
Ritika Gupta, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
The state also limited preseason contact drills to six hours total and banned spring and summer practices.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
If the stars align, Scheifele will pass Hawerchuk’s points total on the outdoor ice at Princess Auto Stadium next season, where Hawerchuk put on a show at the 2016 Heritage Classic against Edmonton.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
In fact, this team has totaled 34 more points through eight games than the 2023 version scored in 14.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
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.
Adjective
This summer, Newsom increased the total film and TV tax credit to $750 million in California, nearly doubling the previous cap, in a bid to encourage more productions to film in Los Angeles.
—Ritika Gupta, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
The state also limited preseason contact drills to six hours total and banned spring and summer practices.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
Anthony Orion Dalton, 17, was sentenced on October 8 to a total of 9 years in prison, with 4 years suspended, after he was found in possession of a firearm on campus in April, according to an October 9 press release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
If the stars align, Scheifele will pass Hawerchuk’s points total on the outdoor ice at Princess Auto Stadium next season, where Hawerchuk put on a show at the 2016 Heritage Classic against Edmonton.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
It was built in 1947 and the living area totals 1,632 square feet.
—Bay Area Home Report, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
In fact, this team has totaled 34 more points through eight games than the 2023 version scored in 14.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Collecting three weeks total atop the Billboard 200, Eternal Sunshine got a second life earlier this year with a deluxe edition released a few months after the November premiere of Wicked.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2025
Hot 100 and 45 weeks total on the chart.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for total
Cite this Entry
“Total.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/total. Accessed 27 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share