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
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
There’s so much vying for your attention, including a Sisyphus figure in the background rolling his interminable burden up and down an incline, that the maskwork that comes into play can begin to feel like Brechtian overkill.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
There’s so much vying for your attention, including a Sisyphus figure in the background rolling his interminable burden up and down an incline, that the maskwork that comes into play can begin to feel like Brechtian overkill.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
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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
-
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 Solis,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
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This spike is a Herbig–Haro object (HH 399, specifically) — a jet of material launched by a growing protostar accreting too much matter and ejecting the excess along its rotational axis.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Many do hire more doctors and nurses and orderlies in the ER to confront the overflow.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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