as in excess
being over what is needed
surplus stock gets shipped to the warehouse and is eventually sold at auction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surplus
Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026
But the update also decreed that new rooftop solar customers would no longer be credited at the retail rate of electricity when their systems generated surplus energy.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Yet the crisis arrives at a time when the helium market has been awash in surplus, which mitigates the war’s immediate effect.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surplus
Adjective
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
But the update also decreed that new rooftop solar customers would no longer be credited at the retail rate of electricity when their systems generated surplus energy.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
Was the merchandise up for grabs for Netflix employees a sign of unsellable surplus, or a routine invitation for staff to sample the products?
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Yet the crisis arrives at a time when the helium market has been awash in surplus, which mitigates the war’s immediate effect.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for surplus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surplus
Adjective
-
One of the ways the body deals with blood being a little acidic is for bones to absorb some of the excess carbon dioxide and lock it away as calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
-
China’s industries operate with massive excess capacity.—
Ram Charan,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Parking also will be improved, Kinney said, to help manage and reduce overflow.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The room by the grand main entrance on the parlor level became Hershon’s office, and an overflow of books sealed off the door itself — which had never been used much anyway.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Minnelli haggled with doctors for extra pills, was left home alone with her infant sister, and once used garden shears to slice open a screen window when Garland locked herself in a bathroom, threatening to overdose.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
For now, Hill isn’t making any specific recommendations for how to allocate the extra cash.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But these spare parts only serve to highlight the disconnected nature of the director’s inspirations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Much like the movie itself, the images captured by Jima on set are spare and enigmatic.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surplus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surplus. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
