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
And an offensive tackle seems like overkill, given how much the Chiefs have already invested recently in their offensive line.
—
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
-
Newsom then proposes spending that $10 billion in the next year’s budget, according to the LAO report — in essence, making a quick deposit to carry some of this year’s surplus over for next year’s budget.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
-
By linking their grids, member states can share domestic surpluses in real time.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Temperatures in excess of 82 degrees Fahrenheit are considered ideal conditions for tropical storm or hurricane development.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
These morality tales, focusing on figures like Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky, make an implicit claim that individual avarice somehow explains the excesses of an entire era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
And the bus agency will stage buses to handle potential overflow crowds or delays on the streetcar, among other improvements through the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) during the World Cup.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
-
After the scan, the overflow doctor called.—
Nami Mun,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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