What Are Redundancies?

These pests 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 twenty-second 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

It’s time to dump out some of those toxic redundancies that trickle and seep into your WIP when you’re not paying attention.

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. An unintentional mistake in addition ultimately ended up costing the company more than a million dollars.
2. Her opinion vacillated back and forth depending on the time of day.
3. The wall mural depicted the Mona Lisa eating a taco.
4. She would be fifty in a matter of only three weeks.
5. He will never again re-establish himself as a respected CEO.
6. None of the details have been verified at this time.
7. The teams will work collaboratively together.
8. His protestations didn’t contain a single grain of truth.
9. Wade climbed up to the very top of the hill.
10. She suffered from mental insanity.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1:  An unintentional mistake in addition ultimately ended up costing the company more than a million dollars.

mistake: an incorrect judgment or action that produces an unintended result

If a mistake is intended, it’s not a mistake.

ultimately: in the end; finally

Alternate wording: A [change in taxation laws, cyber attack, misunderstanding about the union contract] cost the company [more than 20% of its profits, loss of crucial data, a prolonged labor dispute].

Edit #2: Her opinion vacillated back and forth depending on the time of day.

vacillate: to waver back and forth

Alternate wording: She changed her opinion as often as her [address, hair color, men, shoes].

Edit #3: The wall mural depicted the Mona Lisa eating a taco.

mural: a painting or other work of art that is created on a wall

Alternate wording: The mural depicted [an alien invasion, a treasure map, the crime scene of the city’s most recent serial murder].

Edit #4: She would be fifty in a matter of only three weeks.

a matter of: no more than

only: no more than

Alternate wording: In only three weeks, she would be [older than her dad was when he died, too old to travel to Mars, too old to vote].

Edit #5: He will never again reestablish himself as a respected CEO.

reestablish: to establish again or anew

Alternate wording: He was a failure as [ESP Investigator, ghost hunter, reindeer walker]. How could he expect [the company, the organization, Santa] to rehire him?

Edit #6: None of the details have been verified at this time.

have been: indicates that something is going on continuously and has not been completed at this time

Alternate wording: The [fine points, particulars, specifics] remain [unconfirmed, unproven, unverified].

Edit #7: The teams will work collaboratively together.

collaboratively: in a manner that involves two or more entities working together

In some cases, removal of collaboratively instead of together might be more effective.

Alternate wording: The [crews, pilots, troops] [intend, plan, will try] to work together.

Edit #8: His protestations didn’t contain a single grain of truth.

grain: a single particle

Alternate wording: He [couldn’t tell a lie from a llama, lied every time he opened his mouth, protested too loudly to be believable].

Edit #9: Wade climbed up to the very top of the hill.

climb: to go up (a slope, staircase, etc.); to move up

top: the highest point; apex; summit

Wade couldn’t climb any higher than the highest point of the hill; therefore, very is redundant.

Alternate wording: Wade [crawled, labored, limped, scrabbled] to the top of the hill.

Edit #10: She suffered from mental insanity.

insanity: serious mental illness

Perhaps, rather than mental illness, you could mention a specific condition or phobia.

Alternate wording: She [pulled out her hair and refused to eat, spent the rest of her life in the psych ward, visited a psychiatrist three times weekly].

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers