as in excess
being over what is needed
surplus stock gets shipped to the warehouse and is eventually sold at auction
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in overflow
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
we have a surplus of plastic knives, but we're short on forks and spoons for the picnic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surplus
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, has called for building more than two million homes on surplus land that schools have.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Having spent much of the phantom surplus on Medi-Cal expansion and other programs, the budget quickly developed chronic deficits.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surplus
Adjective
If Berríos misses time, Lauer would go from a seemingly surplus arm to the team’s sixth starter.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, a Democrat, has called for building more than two million homes on surplus land that schools have.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
Metro Denver continues to struggle with a huge surplus of office space, especially downtown, where the vacancy rate is approaching 40% and empty skyscrapers are selling for pennies on the dollar.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
Having spent much of the phantom surplus on Medi-Cal expansion and other programs, the budget quickly developed chronic deficits.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surplus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surplus
Adjective
-
Russo places a few dry paper towels in the bag to absorb excess moisture and prevent spoiling.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Place a mandarin orange upside down in the center, bring the dough up around it, and pinch to seal, removing any excess dough to reuse.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But then the Biden administration’s open borders policy had the government throwing tax dollars at hotels and motels all across the country just to house the overflow.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
5 Apr. 2026
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Thrift + Store at 1405 Jupiter Road Suite, was temporarily closed and the food establishment permit was suspended due to sewage overflow.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione's lead defense lawyers, asked for several months of extra time, saying Mangione's legal team needed to prepare for the federal case after his state trial.—
Michael Ruiz , Maria Paronich,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The company is considering a dual-class share structure in the listing that would potentially give insiders such as Musk extra voting power to dominate decision making.—
Bailey Lipschultz,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Because of all the extra trains the new route requires, the board approved spending nearly $955,000 on spare parts.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Isamu Noguchi created a series of spare, transfixing sets, while designers like Halston and Calvin Klein later dressed her performers for the stage.—
Laura Regensdorf,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surplus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surplus. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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