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.
Yet it’s a straightforward narrative on the whole — all text, no subtext.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
It reduces the impact on the whole NHS, but just as importantly has better outcomes for patients.
From BBC ● 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
Economist Andrew Zimbalist studies the impact of international sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics on host cities, and on the whole it’s a bad deal economically, he says.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026
“My mom is still pissed at her for aiding and abetting on the whole applying-to-NYU thing.”
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
