as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
the song already borders on the maudlin—the addition of a syrupy string accompaniment would just be overkill
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Recent Examples of overkill
With Lewis’ extensive injury history, their caution borders on overkill for good reason.
—
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 May 2025
Rivalries Are Easier To Exploit In any other region, the burden Concacaf places on teams would be seen as obvious overkill.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
In an age when blockbuster overkill is supposed to be saving movies, the film reminds you that the real salvation of cinema will always come from those who understand that making a movie should be a magic trick good enough to fool the magician himself into believing it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2025
This might sound like overkill, but as the car heats up and snow starts to slide, roof snow can fall onto windshields and obscure vision at intersections or when pressing on the brakes.
—Kade Krichko, Outside Online, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 7 May 2025
Rivalries Are Easier To Exploit In any other region, the burden Concacaf places on teams would be seen as obvious overkill.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
In an age when blockbuster overkill is supposed to be saving movies, the film reminds you that the real salvation of cinema will always come from those who understand that making a movie should be a magic trick good enough to fool the magician himself into believing it.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 May 2025
This might sound like overkill, but as the car heats up and snow starts to slide, roof snow can fall onto windshields and obscure vision at intersections or when pressing on the brakes.
—Kade Krichko, Outside Online, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
-
Worse, most individuals who want to set prices have biases that will guarantee resulting errors, creating shortages (think apartments in New York City) or surpluses (think U.S. government warehouses of cheese in the 1980s).—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Because of statutory and constitutional requirements, those totals put Beacon Hill in a position to stash more money into reserves, and set up another sizable surtax surplus that lawmakers will get to dole out to education and transportation investments.—
State House News Service,
Boston Herald,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, the Rolls-Royce Corniche had become a global symbol of sumptuous indulgence and unbridled excess; the automotive equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a hundred-dollar bill.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
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Once seen as an impressive point of national pride, the excess of these designs and the earlier Rococo style became a symbol of a corrupt ruling class that served solely its own interests.—
Elizabeth Fazzare,
Architectural Digest,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Wetlands protect homes, reduce sewer overflows and safeguard lives.—
Howard Learner,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Combined sewer overflows are unhealthy for people and the environment in a few ways.—
Noa Climor,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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