as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
a mall with a surplusage of stores all selling the same lines of clothing
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Recent Examples of surplusage
In everyday speech, in legal texts and even in translations of Genesis, one person’s surplusage may be another person’s way of dealing with inevitable trade-offs between clarity and concision.
—
Sam Bray, Washington Post, 25 June 2017
Sam Bray, Washington Post, 25 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surplusage
Noun
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Due to Boston's surplus of talented outfielders under contract, the team has no shortage of options to choose from for who will be in the outfield next season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Several governors have declared states of emergency so surplus and emergency funds can be used to help food banks or SNAP recipients directly.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For Jay Gatsby, a man of immense wealth and few scruples, almost nothing is beyond his voracious appetite for excess.—
David Lyman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Oct. 2025
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Saraceno explained that there is commonly an excess of huskies in shelters.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surplusage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surplusage. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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