as in extra
being over what is needed
cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer
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Recent Examples of superfluous
At a time when Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, and Cervantes were weaving verbal spells upon the stage, music must have seemed a superfluous addition—just as, in England, the mighty lines of Marlowe and Shakespeare hardly cried out for melodic elaboration.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Hayes and Doncic trade throw-in Maxi Kleber are the two legitimate center-sized options on the bench behind Ayton, while 6-foot-8 forward Rui Hachimura and 6-foot-9 forward Jarred Vanderbilt can play some small-ball center minutes, essentially making Koloko superfluous.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Outside help will not be superfluous.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Nov. 2025
There are a few talking heads providing context or explanation, and those talking heads — Ross Matthews, mostly — are easily the worst part of the documentary, or at least the most superfluous part.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superfluous
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Hayes and Doncic trade throw-in Maxi Kleber are the two legitimate center-sized options on the bench behind Ayton, while 6-foot-8 forward Rui Hachimura and 6-foot-9 forward Jarred Vanderbilt can play some small-ball center minutes, essentially making Koloko superfluous.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025
Outside help will not be superfluous.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Nov. 2025
There are a few talking heads providing context or explanation, and those talking heads — Ross Matthews, mostly — are easily the worst part of the documentary, or at least the most superfluous part.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superfluous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superfluous
Adjective
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Collections do tend to drop after the holiday season, and San Diego County’s two main collectors, the Red Cross and San Diego Blood Bank, do tend to hold extra events after the new year to ensure a robust supply.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
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Scott Wedgewood made 16, including a pair of breakaway stops in extra time.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One of the key recommendations for San Diego is to also demand that the water authority negotiate deals to sell excess water to agencies outside the region, most likely out of state, within one year.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
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Clunky, constrictive shoes take up excess leg room and can make your feet feel trapped.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The audit found in 2023 that $675 million in surplus funds should be used to improve services, which CalOptima has done.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
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Why the surplus rule could decide the director race.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This is not a dinky smart projector that streams content over Wi-Fi to a spare wall or big screen.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Jan. 2026
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The company designed the ring not for the peace of mind of forgetful people like me but because, Oura says, one in 10 users have already bought a spare charger, perhaps so there’s always one your desk at work, for instance.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Maintenance also includes limiting unnecessary moisture exposure, since acrylic nails can trap moisture which can lead to premature lifting and bacteria growth.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Glamour,
20 Jan. 2026
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The result of a 2025 Kickstarter that was 437% funded in five minutes, the system is designed to reduce unnecessary steps with a compact user-friendly design that is sustainable while protecting the bees and the integrity of the hives.—
Shirl Leigh
January 20,
New Atlas,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Superfluous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superfluous. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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