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
Is lighting your fire with a blowtorch overkill?
—
Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
Annual exams may be overkill for some young adults with no signs of vision problems.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
Face to face, calling the director often seems like overkill.
—Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2025
That estimated full camper price includes a €5,750 Bear-Lock fortified security system that was part of the Nugget Terranger show vehicle but might feel like overkill to many buyers.
—New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
Annual exams may be overkill for some young adults with no signs of vision problems.
—Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 25 Sep. 2025
Face to face, calling the director often seems like overkill.
—Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2025
That estimated full camper price includes a €5,750 Bear-Lock fortified security system that was part of the Nugget Terranger show vehicle but might feel like overkill to many buyers.
—New Atlas, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
-
Trade deficits and foreign investment surplus show voluntary market transactions from which each party expects to benefit, or the transactions would not occur.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This spike, a bit higher than Swanson expected, is the result of a global surplus fading and import levels returning to normal.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While plenty of flashy tropical cocktails anchor the menu, Sumrall’s favorite libation leans more into 1920s excess.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Mountainhead is one of HBO’s best original films and comes courtesy of writer-director Jesse Armstrong, one of the premier satirists of our age, having lampooned the world of media excess during Succession’s four seasons.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Just as enterprising librarians and archivists met the difficulties of their day with novel solutions, now a new generation looked for ways to adapt to the overflow.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Falco and Panther Burns regrouped and booked two three-hour sessions at Ardent Records in Midtown, once hectic with overflow from Stax but now booking sessions with national acts like ZZ Top.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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