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
The scene repeats the joke too many times at the end, but the joy of watching Yang get sprayed in the face by a hose makes up for a bit of comic overkill.
—
Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024
In the wake of the presidential election this month, the validity or not of the word Latinx was again brought up, but all the handwringing and dramatic reaction feels like overkill.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2024
The rehearsed, synchronized closer was slight overkill, no?
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 19 July 2024
Nordlinger also notes an important instance of overkill.
—Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024
In the wake of the presidential election this month, the validity or not of the word Latinx was again brought up, but all the handwringing and dramatic reaction feels like overkill.
—Leila Cobo, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2024
The rehearsed, synchronized closer was slight overkill, no?
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 19 July 2024
Nordlinger also notes an important instance of overkill.
—Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2012
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
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After years of a financial surplus, Maryland now faces an unprecedented fiscal challenge, one that will have far-reaching consequences for state programs, essential services and taxpayers.—
J.B. Jennings,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Feb. 2025
-
Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was virtually unchanged after Japan’s government reported a record current account surplus last year.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The excesses of 1980s academia are ripe fodder for de Kretser’s mordant wit, but her aim here is more ambitious — and the results more rewarding.—
Emily Eakin,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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The track’s video features Rae frolicking in powdered sugar and in another scene, lingering in her closet, surrounded by an excess of clothes and shoes.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Dias and others from CEA were in Washington, D.C., and watched the hearing from the overflow room before attending the press conference with Murphy, former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and a number of parents and educators who voiced concerns about McMahon.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
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At President Trump’s inauguration, Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, was relegated to the overflow room while other tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg took prime spots on the dais under the Capitol rotunda.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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