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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The question now, with three straight monthly surpluses and the deficit decreasing, is this: What does Trump do?—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Bespoke pricing takes away this possibility, enabling the seller to seize that consumer surplus for itself.—
George Slover,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, the Rolls-Royce Corniche had become a global symbol of sumptuous indulgence and unbridled excess; the automotive equivalent of lighting a Cuban cigar with a hundred-dollar bill.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
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Once seen as an impressive point of national pride, the excess of these designs and the earlier Rococo style became a symbol of a corrupt ruling class that served solely its own interests.—
Elizabeth Fazzare,
Architectural Digest,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surplusage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surplusage. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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