totaling merely

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "totaling merely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a total amount is insignificant or less than expected. Example: "The expenses for the project were high, but the profits were totaling merely a few hundred dollars."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Note that this relationship does not describe these functions in total, merely the behavior of their most significant long-term periodicity.

Plosone

The mobilization of populations had become not merely total but scientific: governments managed to squeeze the last ounce of effectiveness out of men and women of all ages, who endured rationing, extended workweeks, and protracted military service to an extent unimaginable even 30 years before.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Stock splits generally do not affect the value of a shareholder's total holdings, merely the number of shares held.

Los Angeles Times

*The total score does not correspond with a cutoff point definition; the total score merely reflects the overall score obtained from the individual's responses for each item likert scale.

Critical Care

Any victory that leaves the Taliban in charge of even a small part of the country will not be a victory at all.The hope must be that the Taliban are in total, not merely tactical, retreat, but that cannot be taken for granted.

The Economist

On the other hand, 167 regions (142 overlapping with CDS and 25 within intergenic regions) with a total of merely 14,338 bp (only 0.34% of the genome) were expressed under only one substrate (129 regions were found to be cellulose-specific, among which 18 were intergenic).

Biotechnology for Biofuels

This implies that number or type of services is not considered but merely total costs by sectors.

Health Economics Review

Previous attacks on rebel-held areas have shown not merely total disregard for civilians, but deliberate targeting of them.

The Guardian - Opinion

Estimates in proposals from the districts themselves for the cost of the improvements range from a total of $2.8 billion merely to address immediate health, safety and overcrowding problems, to $7.3 billion for additional needs like libraries, laboratories, gymnasiums and space for newly mandated preschool programs.

The New York Times

Australia's eventual 354 for 5 did little to contradict the view that early runs were there for the taking though it took Steve Smith (98 not out) and James Faulkner (48) to gallop to the finish line to nudge the total beyond the merely adequate.

Independent

It is demonstrated that the total coherence depends merely on the factor matrix with the largest coherence coefficient for a Kronecker dictionary [39, 40].

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "totaling merely", ensure that the context clearly establishes the expected or baseline amount against which the actual total is being compared. This provides a clear understanding of the insignificance being conveyed.

Common error

Avoid using "totaling merely" in situations where the total is already understood to be small or insignificant. The phrase is most effective when highlighting a discrepancy between expectation and reality.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "totaling merely" functions as a qualifier, emphasizing the insignificance of a final quantity or amount. Based on Ludwig's analysis, it serves to highlight a discrepancy between an expected or desired total and the actual, smaller amount.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Encyclopedias

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Wiki

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Academia

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "totaling merely" is used to emphasize that a final amount or quantity is smaller than expected or desired. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and aims to express disappointment at how small a final amount is, when compared to previous expectations. While there are few concrete examples for this phrase, the writing guidance suggests that it's best used to highlight a clear discrepancy and avoided when the smallness is already understood. The frequency of use is difficult to assess because of its limited presence in available data.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

amounting to just

This alternative directly replaces "totaling" with "amounting", maintaining a similar emphasis on the resulting sum, while "just" reinforces the insignificance.

summing up to only

Using "summing up" provides a more active voice, emphasizing the act of reaching a total, while "only" highlights the smallness of the final amount.

merely reaching

This alternative focuses on the act of reaching a small amount. It exchanges the noun "totaling" with the verb "reaching"

adding up to a paltry

"Adding up to" makes the accumulation process explicit, and "paltry" strongly emphasizes the insignificance of the total.

only reaching a total of

This phrase emphasizes limitation and the final aggregate using "only" and "total", respectively.

a meager total of

"Meager" provides a descriptive adjective highlighting the small quantity, maintaining the emphasis on the total sum.

scarcely exceeding

This emphasizes that the amount barely surpasses a certain point, indicating a very small margin.

hardly more than

Focuses on proximity to a lower limit.

just a shade over

Implies a slight overage with a colorful expression.

barely achieving

Emphasis on difficulty in reaching even a small total.

FAQs

How can I use "totaling merely" in a sentence?

Use "totaling merely" to emphasize that a final amount is surprisingly small or insignificant compared to expectations. For example, "The fundraising campaign was ambitious, but the donations were "amounting to just" a few dollars".

What are some alternatives to "totaling merely"?

Alternatives include "amounting to just", "summing up to only", or "a meager total of", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "totaling merely"?

It's most fitting when you want to highlight a noticeable difference between an anticipated or necessary amount and the actual, smaller total achieved. It adds emphasis to the inadequacy of the final sum.

What is the difference between "totaling merely" and "simply totaling"?

"Totaling merely" emphasizes the surprisingly small final sum, whereas "simply totaling" focuses on the action of reaching a total without necessarily implying that the sum is small or disappointing.