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.

Remember as you attempt this quiz, that one of the meanings of redundant is “unnecessary.”

About The Quiz

This quiz, the forty-first 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

It’s time to track down and find those uncalled-for redundancies.

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. Temperatures are warming up today, but they will cool down tomorrow.
2. It was one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time.
3. The floppy sunhat almost completely covered her eyes.
4. The two men squared off against each other and raised their fists.
5. She joined the two ends together and secured them with tape.
6. You two stop squabbling, and put an end to this idiocy once and for all.
7. As of right now, I have no plan to enter the race.
8. It feels great to be back in the saddle again.
9. We will pool our resources together and become joint owners.
10. They were allied together in their search for the truth.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1:

Temperatures are warming up today, but they will cool down tomorrow.

to warm: raise the temperature; make the temperature go up

to cool: lower the temperature; make the temperature go down

Although it’s common to hear and/or use warm up and cool down, if you’re trying to cut words, the phrases can be shortened to one word. Remember to keep dialogue sounding natural.

Alternate wording (based on what a weather broadcaster might say):

• Look forward to warmer temperatures today, but cooler tomorrow.
• We hope for sunny skies today, but tomorrow should be cloudy.
• Expect T-shirt weather today, but you’ll need a jacket tomorrow.

Edit #2:

It was one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time.

mystery: unsolved problem; a situation that is difficult or impossible to explain

Alternate wording: One of the greatest [conundrums, enigmas, riddles] [ever, of history, of science, of the ages, since _____] plagued the [archaeologist, detective, historian, scientist].

Edit #3:

The floppy sunhat almost completely covered her eyes.

almost: not quite

completely: totally

to cover: put over all the surface of; conceal; hide

Looking at the definitions, the sentence could be reworded as: The floppy sunhat not quite totally covered her eyes.

Definitesolutely awkward and contrary.

Alternate wording: The floppy sunhat [hid, protected, shielded, shrouded] her eyes.

Besides the obvious, providing sun protection, why would characters hide their eyes? Bruising? Heterochromia? An infection? An alien trying to conceal not-quite-human-looking eyes?

Edit #4:

The two men squared off against each other and raised their fists.

to square off: assume the attitude of a person prepared to fight; prepare to fight someone; take a fighting stance

Since the sentence mentions two men, readers will know that they intend to fight each other, making against each other redundant.

Alternate wording: The two men [belittled one another, cursed, flung insults, scowled] and raised their fists.

Edit #5:

She joined the two ends together and secured them with tape.

to join: fasten together; stick together

together: jointly; as one

Using the above definition for together, we would have: She joined the two ends jointly and secured them with tape.

Clumsy.

Alternate wording: She [connected the cables, spliced the wires] and [wrapped them with electrical tape, soldered them].

Edit #6:

You two stop squabbling, and put an end to this idiocy once and for all.

to end: bring to an end; put an end to

once and for all: forever; for all time

Some editors would shorten the sentence even further:

• You two stop squabbling, and end this idiocy.
• Stop squabbling, and end this idiocy.

Alternate wording: Stop [arguing, bickering, scrapping] and [admit you’re both wrong, make up, shake hands].

Edit #7:

As of right now, I have no plans to enter the race.

If a person is making a statement, of course it’s as of the moment the statement is made.

Alternate wording: I [have no intention to run for office, don’t intend to enter the marathon, will make up my mind as soon as __________].

Edit #8:

It feels great to be back in the saddle again.

to get back in the saddle: to get in the saddle again; to get back on

Alternate wording: It feels [reassuring, superb, terrific, wonderful] to [return to last year’s status quo, receive a positive __________, hear about __________, be in the in the black again].

Edit #9:

We will pool our resources together and become joint owners.

to pool: bring together; put together

Alternate wording: We will [combine our assets, share our resources] and become joint owners.

Or the sentence could be shortened to:

• We will [amalgamate, integrate, merge].

Edit #10:

They were allied together in their search for the truth.

allied: working together; pulled together

Alternate wording: They [consolidated their efforts, worked together] in their [hunt for honesty, pursuit of integrity, quest for the facts, chase after __________].

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers