Definition of overkill
transitive verb
:to obliterate (a target) with more nuclear force than required
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Recent Examples of overkill from the Web
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These guys need nine lives, as much as they’ve been overkilled.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overkill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of overkill
1957
Definition of overkill
1
:a destructive capacity greatly exceeding that required for a given target
2
:an excess of something (such as a quantity or an action) beyond what is required or suitable for a particular purpose
- publicity overkill
- an overkill in weaponry
3
:killing in excess of what is intended or required
Examples of overkill in a Sentence
Yes, we need a new car, but this huge truck seems like overkill.
the song already borders on the maudlin—the addition of a syrupy string accompaniment would just be overkill
Recent Examples of overkill from the Web
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However, no evidence has been presented to show Elliott is guilty of anything, and a suspension of this length is overkill.
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However, no evidence has been presented to show Elliott is guilty of anything, and a suspension of this length is overkill.
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The best way to falsify overkill is to show animals went extinct before human arrival.
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An onlooker suggests to one of the officers that the swarm was a bit of an overkill.
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The only solution is robust security that can often seem expensive and overkill to companies concerned with their bottom line.
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Yet, while the idea of a Samoa Joe-Brock Lesnar rematch might seem like overkill, rumors suggest there's another scenario that could take place.
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If the pen is mightier than the sword, the fountain pen might seem like the canon: outdated, unwieldy, and total overkill.
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That said, if your primary use-case is browsing the Web, chat/Skype, light photo editing, and the like, then this thing is likely overkill.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overkill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of overkill
1957
overkill Synonyms
Synonyms
bellyful, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow, excess, overmuch, overplus, oversupply, plethora, plus, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusageAntonyms
deficiency, deficit, insufficiency, undersupplyRelated Words
abundance, bounty, plentitude, plenty, profusion, sufficiency; overproduction, overstockNear Antonyms
dearth, lack, scarcity, wantOVERKILL Defined for English Language Learners
overkill
play
noun
Definition of overkill for English Language Learners
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: something that is much larger, greater, etc., than what is needed for a particular purpose
Learn More about overkill
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See words that rhyme with overkill Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overkill Spanish Central: Translation of overkill Nglish: Translation of overkill for Spanish speakers
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