SURPLUS Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

surplus 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of surplus next

as in excess

being over what is needed surplus stock gets shipped to the warehouse and is eventually sold at auction

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surplus

2 of 2

noun

ˈsər-(ˌ)pləs

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

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Recent Examples of surplus

Adjective

Florida insurance companies, which are exposed to huge risk, pay a lot for reinsurance and must use the little that’s left to pay expenses and build surplus reserves. —

Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026 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

Noun

When Lamont projected nearly two weeks ago that state finances still were on pace for a razor-thin $33 million operating surplus, that report ignored Scanlon’s estimate that the retiree health care was shy by $39 million. —

Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026 Fuel shortages Oil prices have been insulated from rallying even higher due to refinery run cuts, a surplus of supply before the war and the release of emergency oil by the more than 30 countries in the International Energy Agency, said Matthew Bernstein, an analyst at Rystad Energy. —

Spencer Kimball,pippa Stevens, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surplus

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surplus

Adjective

Their options were to donate the excess inventory, sell it off to an old-school resale chain like TJ Maxx, or chuck it.

— Hilton Als, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
European banks are sitting on excess capital, which Citi said could be deployed via buybacks, loan growth or M & A — though questions hover over the best route to achieve share price growth.

— Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026