surplus to requirements

phrase

British, formal

: no longer needed

His services had become surplus to requirements.

Examples of surplus to requirements in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Araujo has apparently become surplus to requirements at the Spotify Camp Nou, having fallen behind Gerard Martin and Pau Cubarsi in the center-back pecking order, and Jules Kounde at right-back. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile appear more surplus to requirements than ever as Chelsea finalise the signing of Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, and leaving them out of the tour gives them more opportunity to find new homes. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Except that, in the last few years, humans have become surplus to requirements. — Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

There are still several players, including Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho, who are seemingly surplus to requirements at United, as Amorim looks to freshen up a team which has been thrown from one disaster to the next in recent years. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for surplus to requirements

• acquirements
• retirements