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
The defense has argued that police waited too long to read Mangione his Miranda rights and that the police actions amounted to overkill.
—
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2025
Proving that there’s nothing MAGA love like overkill, there’s also whole lot of George Washington (including a historically daft 2010 Dodge Challenger ad) in the almost hangover inducing 40-second spot.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Giving a sniper rifle explosive rounds that also cause electrical shocks seems like overkill, but shooting that gun never gets old.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Annual exams may be overkill for some young adults with no signs of vision problems.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2025
Proving that there’s nothing MAGA love like overkill, there’s also whole lot of George Washington (including a historically daft 2010 Dodge Challenger ad) in the almost hangover inducing 40-second spot.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Giving a sniper rifle explosive rounds that also cause electrical shocks seems like overkill, but shooting that gun never gets old.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Annual exams may be overkill for some young adults with no signs of vision problems.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
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District officials have tentatively selected Becker, Dawson, Ridgetop, Sunset Valley, and Widén elementary schools as surplus, along with a 28-acre portion of the property around Bedichek Middle School.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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The board also voted 4-3 to purchase locks for the courts, using roughly $18,000 in 2025 surplus funds.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Matthew Ampersand of Find Out Farms saw this excess.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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Next, apply a very thin, even layer of high-smoke-point oil—such as grapeseed, avocado, or sunflower—to the entire surface, inside and out, and wipe away any excess.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Limit memory items to specific containers to prevent overflow.—
Julianna Chen,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, Thomas, a former state representative and Atlanta City Council member, had grown used to seeing the neighborhood’s sewers overflow after a heavy rain.—
Drew Kann,
AJC.com,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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