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 thirty-sixth 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 Often in the Definitions

Maybe it’s time to shoot those repetitious redundancies to the moon.

In most cases, you should recognize the superfluous words when you scrutinize the definitions.

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

Can You Find Every Redundant Word or Phrase?

1. They are rallying together to fight the fires.
2. The crew landed safely in Los Angeles.
3. This will turn out to be a long, protracted war.
4. The search extended out to the woods and the lake.
5. The occupants quickly rushed out of the building and across the street.
6. They disembarked from out of the plane.
7. The diner on I-80 was an unplanned spur-of-the-moment stop-off.
8. The area was divided up into separate sectors.
9. The coworkers had shaped and planned out the itinerary down to the last detail.
10. When there’s a full moon, the oceans rise up.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1: They are rallying together to fight the fires.

rally: to come together; to bring together; to call together

Alternate wording: They are [forming a brigade, gathering, assembling] to [battle the inferno, march in protest against the new legislation, form a new ruling party].

Note: Some editors would change to fight the fires to in order to fight the fires.

Edit #2: The crew landed safely in Los Angeles.

land:  to make (an aircraft or a spacecraft) move safely down onto the ground at the end of a journey; to touch down

If the crew landed, could it have landed unsafely?

Alternate wording: The [team, spacecraft, balloon] [disembarked, alit with a giant thud, lost altitude and crashed] in Los Angeles.

Edit #3: This will turn out to be a long, protracted war.

protracted: long-drawn-out; lasting for a long time

Alternate wording: This will [cause, result in, trigger] [a regional conflict, a mobilization of ground forces, bitter warfare].

Note 1: For a more engaging scenario, turn this into something specific. A diplomatic incident? An accidental discharge of a secret weapon? Or __________?

Note 2: You might prefer This will turn out to be a protracted war.

Edit #4: The search extended out to the woods and the lake.

extend: to stretch out

Alternate wording: The search [encompassed, required, excluded] [all urban and forested areas, a dozen emergency vehicles, the King’s palace].

Edit #5: The occupants quickly rushed out of the building and across the street.

rush: to hurry or move quickly

Alternate wording: The [tenants, attendees, diplomats] rushed out of the building and [into the air-raid shelter, over the runway, into their limousines].

Edit #6: They disembarked from out of the plane.

disembark: to step out of

Note: disembark refers to exiting a ship or plane, not getting out of a vehicle.

Alternate wording: They [grabbed their suitcases, stowed the jewels in their secret pockets, saluted their CO] and [came ashore, slunk toward the exit, marched off the parade square].

Edit #7: The diner on I-80 was an unplanned spur-of-the-moment stop-off.

unplanned: spur-of-the-moment; spontaneous; unscheduled

Alternate wording: The [scenic viewpoint, detour, road construction] was [an incredible opportunity to watch the sun gradually illuminate the canyon, an unplanned and unwelcome delay, a forty-mile obstacle course].

Note: Replacing was with a more specific word will add depth to the sentence.

Edit #8: The area was divided up into separate sectors.

divide: to cut up; to carve up; to slice up; to chop up; to split up

sector: an area or portion that is separate from other areas or portions

Alternate wording: The [property, region, country] was [parceled, separated, split] into [four lots, several boroughs, two new countries].

Note: See the comment regarding was in Edit #7.

Edit #9: The coworkers had shaped and planned out the itinerary down to the last detail.

plan: to shape; to work out (a plan)

Alternate wording: The [staff, collaborators, associates] had [arranged, formulated, improvised] the [birthday party without the boss’s knowledge, plans before the political rally, solution over a quick lunch].

Edit #10: When there’s a full moon, the oceans rise up.

rise: to come or go up; to spring up

Alternate wording: When [the cat’s away, a full moon reigns the sky, the chicken crosses the road], the [mice steal its food, the oceans rise to applaud its splendor, it always knows why].

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers