The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 5 letter word SUM TOTAL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
S
U
M
T
O
T
A
L
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "All told" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case all told = sum total.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SUM TOTAL mean?
SUM TOTAL noun- Total; the result of adding a set of figures or counting a number of items.
- Entirety; the aggregate of everything.
- Epitome.