on the whole
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, Andy Bell, said he welcomed the announcement on the whole - although was concerned that the mental health emergency departments had not been properly tested yet.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The bad news is that on the whole they are.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Yet it’s a straightforward narrative on the whole — all text, no subtext.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Not only that, but Americans on the whole can more readily afford their debt thanks to higher incomes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
“But on the whole it was perfect. We hit the ball right out of the park. It’s lost. And it’s gonna stay lost. There isn’t a single connection.”
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
