to the tune of

1. To the sum or extent of, as in They had profits to the tune of about $20 million. This idiom transfers tune, a succession of musical tones, to a succession of figures. [First half of 1700s]

Example Sentences

The song was to the tune of “Be Our Guest,” the “Beauty and The Beast” classic — except the repeating refrain is “shut your trap.”

From Los Angeles Times

While City have added 10 new players to the squad since January with a total expenditure of about £350m, it is dwarfed by the Reds strengthening their squad to the tune of a record £415m this summer.

From BBC

The 54-year-old New York native claimed in his voluntary petition, reviewed by The Times, that he is in debt to the tune of $25.3 million.

From Los Angeles Times

“The president is in surgery, or something happened to him,” claimed a total nobody to the tune of 752,000 views.

From Slate

Clearly this is not the return United's senior management were expecting, not when Amorim was backed to the tune of £200m for three attacking players this summer despite delivering the lowest league finish since the year they spent in the second tier in 1974-75 after relegation.

From BBC

Related Words

• bring in 
• come to 
• require 
• sell for www.thesaurus.com
• take 
• yield