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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of overkill
This news story was unquestionably huge — even though media critics accused networks of overkill and exploitation.
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Brian Stelter, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
The director, Jeff Wadlow, establishes to the point of overkill that Taylor resents the existence of her stepmother, but the film still makes Jessica into too much of an interloper.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
Having the contestants film some of their confessionals in menacing-looking interrogation rooms is also a bit of overkill.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2023
Each Kuiper spacecraft likely weighs a few hundred kilograms at launch, so a dedicated Atlas V launch into low-Earth orbit for just two of Amazon's satellites is a bit of overkill.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 6 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for overkill 
Brian Stelter, Rolling Stone, 11 Apr. 2024
The director, Jeff Wadlow, establishes to the point of overkill that Taylor resents the existence of her stepmother, but the film still makes Jessica into too much of an interloper.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
Having the contestants film some of their confessionals in menacing-looking interrogation rooms is also a bit of overkill.
—EW.com, 20 Nov. 2023
Each Kuiper spacecraft likely weighs a few hundred kilograms at launch, so a dedicated Atlas V launch into low-Earth orbit for just two of Amazon's satellites is a bit of overkill.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 6 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for overkill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overkill
Noun
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Plains All American Pipeline has a working capital surplus of $33 million and approximately $3.3 billion of liquidity available as of September 30, 2024.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
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Newsom, first elected in 2018, temporarily increased the incentive by $90 million when the state enjoyed a large pandemic-era surplus in 2021.Gene Maddaus, Variety, 27 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Just an overdue recalibration of what constitutes luxury versus excess; omakase counters are thriving, after all.Caroline Hatchett, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2024
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The ’80s excess is on point, from maximalist cocktail attire to the mile-high-club encounter in the Concorde bathroom that opens the series.Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Acknowledge your accomplishments—and prepare for the overflow of blessings during this era of your life.Essence, Essence, 1 Nov. 2024
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Integer Overflow Sanitizer does the same as above but in relation to integers, or numbers, being too large or too small and enabling an overflow exploit.Davey Winder, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near overkill
Cite this Entry
“Overkill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overkill. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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