What Are Redundancies?

These nuisances are superfluous words or phrases also known as pleonasms. Rather than augment writing, they slow action scenes and increase word count — without adding constructive details.

About The Quiz

This quiz, the fifteenth in its series, offers ten sentences containing redundancies, and ten suggested solutions.

They are edited examples from books, news media, television shows, and overheard conversations.

The Answers Are in the Definitions

In most cases, you should recognize the superfluous words when you scrutinize the definitions provided with each edit.

And maybe your muse will find story ideas among the changes and suggestions.

Can You Find Every Redundant Word or Phrase?

1. She emptied out her desk drawer and searched frantically for her engagement ring.
2. He tripped over the toy and fell down.
3. Her fellow classmates met together with her in the gymnasium.
4. During the fire, the two metal pieces fused together and formed an impenetrable barrier.
5. His future plans included a visit to the museum.
6. Her bewitching eyes were green in color with gold flecks.
7. Several harmful injuries threatened his life.
8. She heated up the cold coffee and then cooled it down again with a generous splash of iced milk.
9. We’ll leave as soon as we possibly can.
10. The soundtrack integrated jazz and rock together.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1:  She emptied out her desk drawer and searched frantically for her engagement ring.

empty: remove the contents of

If we were to reword the sentence by inserting the definition, it would become: She removed the contents of out her desk drawer.

Alternate wording with a bit more oomph: She [dumped, spilled] the contents of her desk drawer [into her lap, onto the carpet, onto the floor] and searched frantically for her engagement ring.

Edit #2: He tripped over the toy and fell down.

trip: catch one’s foot on something and stumble or fall.

Alternate wording: He tripped over the [dollhouse, Lego castle, toy robot] and [cursed, stubbed his toe].

Edit #3: Her fellow classmates met together with her in the gymnasium.

classmate: a fellow member of a class in an educational institution

meet: gather together; get together

Alternate wording: Her classmates [accosted, ambushed, assembled with, gathered with, waylaid] her in the gymnasium.

Edit #4: During the fire, the two metal pieces fused together and formed an impenetrable barrier.

fuse: join together physically or chemically; combine

Some editors would strike through impenetrable as well.

barrier: anything that prevents something from passing through

Alternate wording: During the fire, the two pieces of [brass, silver, tin, zinc] melted and fused, creating a barrier.

Edit #5: His future plans included a visit to the museum.

plan: decide and arrange what to do in the future; prearrange

Alternate wording: His plans included a visit to the [International Spy Museum, Museum of Ice Cream].

Find more ideas by searching the net for weird museums.

Edit #6: Her bewitching eyes were green in color with gold flecks.

green: of the color between blue and yellow

Alternate wording: Her [captivating, seductive] eyes were pools of green with gold [highlights, sparkles].

Edit #7: Several harmful injuries threatened his life.

injury: physical harm or damage sustained by a living thing

Alternate wording: Several [bayonet gashes, bullet wounds, third-degree burns] threatened his life.

Edit #8: She heated up the cold coffee and then cooled it down again with a generous splash of iced milk.

heat: make warm or hot by raising the temperature

cool: make cool or cold by lowering the temperature

Alternate wording: She heated the [cappuccino, frappe, latte, beaker of blood] and then cooled it again with a generous [cascade, helping, pour] of iced milk.

Edit #9: We’ll leave as soon as we possibly can.

can: be made possible or probable

Alternate wording: We’ll leave as soon as [feasible, possible, practical].

Edit #10: The soundtrack integrated jazz and rock together.

integrate: join together, put together

Alternate wording: The soundtrack [blended, mashed-up, mixed, destroyed my love for] jazz and rock.

How Did You Do?

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers