as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed
the song already borders on the maudlin—the addition of a syrupy string accompaniment would just be overkill
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Recent Examples of overkill
In this telling, the war’s opening act was a literal overkill.
—
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
While horror remains popular with audiences and relatively cheap to produce, the genre may be approaching overkill.
—Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
While horror remains popular with audiences and relatively cheap to produce, the genre may be approaching overkill.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
This is starting to feel like overkill.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
While horror remains popular with audiences and relatively cheap to produce, the genre may be approaching overkill.
—Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
While horror remains popular with audiences and relatively cheap to produce, the genre may be approaching overkill.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
This is starting to feel like overkill.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
-
Over a decade later, the spirit of that push has become a core policy for Johnson, who persuaded aldermen to support a record $1 billion TIF surplus that yielded $572 million for Chicago Public Schools and $233 million for the city.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Those teams have areas of surplus and change-of-scenery candidates.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The plaintiffs are suing Easterseals for damages in excess of $25,000.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Other oil companies paid an excess of $3 million in addition to the crossing fee to accelerate their passage in the face of soaring oil prices.—
Alma Solís,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When maintenance issues reached a crisis point with sewage overflow in 2023, residents turned to the attorney general to intervene.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Use it as a shoe rack in an entryway, a spot to display potted plants, or a pantry organizer for overflow.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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