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
Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
To avoid the lines, customers (including first-time private fliers) are now coughing up large sums to avoid TSA altogether, sometimes to the tune of $34,000, Bloomberg reported.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
As The Autopian summed it up, there’s nothing earth-shattering – technologically speaking – here.
—New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sum
Noun
The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.
—Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 31 Mar. 2026
To avoid the lines, customers (including first-time private fliers) are now coughing up large sums to avoid TSA altogether, sometimes to the tune of $34,000, Bloomberg reported.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Reed, who lives in Texas, summed it up well.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
As The Autopian summed it up, there’s nothing earth-shattering – technologically speaking – here.
—New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sum
Noun
-
But on Monday, the team waived Jaden Ivey — who had spent a total of only 115 minutes on a basketball court in a Bulls jersey — after the guard went on a series of religious rants on his social media, including a bigoted diatribe against the NBA’s practice of hosting LGBTQ+ pride nights.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Depending on the source, Jews represented 5% to 8% of the total, even though Jews made up less than 1% of Argentina’s population at the time.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The general format for interviews, subject to change, is to have each candidate make a three-minute introduction, answer brief questions from council members, then deliver a one-minute summary.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
With respect to Google, the suit says the company’s core search engine and its artificial intelligence summary feature called AI mode were responsible for publishing victims’ personal information.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Stardom is more nuanced than height and weight and wingspan, but Williams clearly has the physical gifts and general profile of a solid NBA player.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Similar to Jupiter's true superstorms, their activity lasted for months, but unlike true superstorms, their cloud towers only reached modest heights.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Juliet is arguing that Romeo’s name is merely a label that does not define his essence.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But the soul and spirit of [the films and] the essence of the themes of those films, and the kids and all the artisans and the crafts people.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But adding regular walking helps signal the body to maintain lean tissue while losing fat.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Grayson Allen added 19 points, Oso Ighodaro scored 13 and Khaman Maluach had 12 and nine rebounds for the Suns, who had lost six of their previous seven games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the totality of the cap hits between this year and next year would’ve been the same.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Emotions rose as the fleeting phase of totality continued to ebb away with the moon lost from sight behind a veil of clouds.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a new lawsuit, one of the first three women to officiate an NFL game describes her three years at the pinnacle of her profession as a descent into the grip of a sexist institution unable to treat a woman as an equal.—
Larry Neumeister,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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But coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks quickly reminded TCU that there are still levels to this, and the Horned Frogs are still a tier or two away from joining South Carolina, UConn, Texas and UCLA at the pinnacle of the sport.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the film also sees the roots of toxic nativism elsewhere, especially in the wars being waged in Ukraine and Gaza, both of which become passing points of conversation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sum. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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