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For the thrash metal band, see Overkill (band).
Overkill is a slang term for the use of excessive force that seems to go farther than just achieving its
goal. For example, trying to kill a bee with a gun would be overkill.
Overkill is especially used to refer to a destructive nuclear
capacity exceeding the amount needed to destroy an enemy.
The term was probably coined in the 1940s and was in common use during cold war era, referring to the arms race
between the USA and the USSR. Both
nations possessed (and still possess) enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world many times over - nuclear overkill.
The term is often used for spending a lot of time or money when much less would do just as well. For example, buying 7 mm
thick, high quality audio cables to connect your
computer to a pair of lousy PC speakers would be overkill.
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