as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
a mall with a surplusage of stores all selling the same lines of clothing
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Recent Examples of surplusage
In everyday speech, in legal texts and even in translations of Genesis, one person’s surplusage may be another person’s way of dealing with inevitable trade-offs between clarity and concision.
—
Sam Bray, Washington Post, 25 June 2017
Sam Bray, Washington Post, 25 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surplusage
Noun
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Will the Rockies, who have a surplus of young outfielders, make a spring training trade?—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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The law aims to dramatically reduce landfill waste — especially organic waste — and requires many businesses to donate edible surplus food to organizations like Feeding San Diego.—
Patty Oconnor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 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
Cite this Entry
“Surplusage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surplusage. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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