as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
an overabundance of desserts at a potluck dinner
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overabundance
So surely, in this day and age, there must be an ethical, more humane way to deal with an overabundance of deer without reaching for the gun.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026
The loss of one species can tilt an environment, causing the overabundance or eradication of another, with effects rippling down the food chain.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Queuers would rather sit on the floor than skip the lounge for a chair at the gate, a desperation that might have something to do with Instagram envy, inequality, or an overabundance of premium-economy professionals with business-class expectations.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
While some see overabundance and others see scarcity, a distinction that appears to bridge the gap is the level of talent under discussion.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overabundance
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026
The loss of one species can tilt an environment, causing the overabundance or eradication of another, with effects rippling down the food chain.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
Queuers would rather sit on the floor than skip the lounge for a chair at the gate, a desperation that might have something to do with Instagram envy, inequality, or an overabundance of premium-economy professionals with business-class expectations.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
While some see overabundance and others see scarcity, a distinction that appears to bridge the gap is the level of talent under discussion.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overabundance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overabundance
Noun
-
Over a decade later, the spirit of that push has become a core policy for Johnson, who persuaded aldermen to support a record $1 billion TIF surplus that yielded $572 million for Chicago Public Schools and $233 million for the city.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Those teams have areas of surplus and change-of-scenery candidates.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Other oil companies paid an excess of $3 million in addition to the crossing fee to accelerate their passage in the face of soaring oil prices.—
Alma Solis,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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This spike is a Herbig–Haro object (HH 399, specifically) — a jet of material launched by a growing protostar accreting too much matter and ejecting the excess along its rotational axis.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because of the riotous abundance of color.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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Also flying is the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, a small satellite designed to provide an understanding of the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the moon, as well as the lunar water cycle.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overabundance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overabundance. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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