Cut the Fat: Avoiding Redundancy in Your Writing

Stop Writing in Circles

Have you ever found yourself reading a sentence that feels like it’s going in circles? I’ve been noticing an increase in this issue—known as redundancy—while going through submissions or coaching a new writer.  

Think of redundancy like a traffic jamb—you’ll eventually get where you’re going it’s just taking longer and you’re annoyed when you get there… or at least the reader is. While these infractions seem minor, overuse can clutter the prose and slow the narrative pace.

The problem is, redundancy isn’t always easy to catch—you might even find some here—and writers, regardless of experience, will do it. However, learning to recognize redundancy will help sharpen your writing, resulting in a better reading experience.

For fun I’ve included a list of 200 common redundancies at the end of this post. Check it out to see which ones you’re guilty of.

What is Redundancy?

Redundancy occurs when the same thing is repeated in multiple ways, whether through words, phrases, or ideas – or what’s implied by the action.

Here are a few common examples:

• Repetition of Ideas: "She nodded her head in agreement." In this case, “nodded” already implies agreement, so the added phrase “in agreement” is unnecessary. Not to mention that you usually nod with your head. The same goes for “She blinked her eyes rapidly”.  "She stood up" and “She sat down”.

• Overuse of Synonyms: "The post was long, lengthy, and drawn-out." These three words all convey the same idea. Pick one.

• Wordy Phrases:

  • Due to the fact that → Because

  • In the event that → If

  • At this point in time → Now

  • In order to → To

  • Despite the fact that → Although

  • With regard to → About

  • In the event that → If

  • Has the ability to → Can

  • A large number of → Many

  • For the purpose of → For

  • In the vicinity of → Near

  • Until such time as → Until

  • In the process of → During

  • Make a decision → Decide

  • Take into consideration → Consider

• Tautologies: A statement or phrase where the same idea is repeated using different words. I think of these as the cousin of oxymorons like “jumbo shrimp”:

• Free gift (A gift is always free.)

• Past history (History refers to the past by definition.)

• End result (A result is inherently at the end.)

• Advance planning (Planning always happens in advance.)

• Close proximity (Proximity already means nearness.)

• Final outcome (An outcome is always final.)

• Necessary requirement (A requirement is, by definition, necessary.)

• New innovation (Innovations are inherently new.)

• Each and every (Each and every convey the same meaning.)

• Basic fundamentals (Fundamentals are inherently basic.)

• Overexplaining: Sometimes writers are tempted to restate the same idea to make sure the reader understands. For example, "He was angry, furious, enraged." Each of these words has the same meaning, and piling them on adds nothing but bulk.  

A Few Tips for Avoiding Redundancy

• Keep Sentences Simple: Complex sentences often attempt to pack in too much information.  

• Vary Sentence Structure: Varying sentence length helps avoid sounding redundant.

• Watch Adverbs: While adverbs can be useful, overusing them can contribute to redundancy. Words like “very,” “really,” or “extremely” often signal that your sentence is doing too much work. For instance, “She ran very fast” can be simplified to “She sprinted.”

There’s a quote attributed to Mark Twain: Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. This is the one I was most guilty of. What’s yours?

As promised here is a list of redundancies that I snagged from an article by Richard Nordquist five years ago.

200 Common Redundancies

A 

• (absolutely) essential

• (absolutely) necessary

• (actual) facts

• advance (forward)

• (advance) planning

• (advance) preview

• (advance) reservations

• (advance) warning

• add (an additional)

• add (up)

• (added) bonus

• (affirmative) yes

• (aid and) abet

• (all-time) record

• alternative (choice)

• A.M. (in the morning)

• (and) etc.

• (anonymous) stranger

• (annual) anniversary

• (armed) gunman

• (artificial) prosthesis

• ascend (up)

• ask (the question)

• assemble (together)

• attach (together)

• ATM (machine)

• autobiography (of his or her own life)

B 

• bald(-headed)

• balsa (wood)

• (basic) fundamentals

• (basic) necessities

• best (ever)

• biography (of his--or her--life)

• blend (together)

• (boat) marina

• bouquet (of flowers)

• brief (in duration)

• (brief) moment

• (brief) summary

• (burning) embers

C 

• cacophony (of sound)

• cameo (appearance)

• cancel (out)

• (careful) scrutiny

• cash (money)

• cease (and desist)

• circle (around)

• circulate (around)

• classify (into groups)

• (close) proximity

• (closed) fist

• collaborate (together)

• combine (together)

• commute (back and forth)

• compete (with each other)

• (completely) annihilate

• (completely) destroyed

• (completely) eliminate

• (completely) engulfed

• (completely) filled

• (completely) surround

• (component) parts

• confer (together)

• connect (together)

• connect (up)

• confused (state)

• consensus (of opinion)

• (constantly) maintained

• cooperate (together)

• could (possibly)

• crisis (situation)

• curative (process)

• (current) incumbent

• (current) trend

D 

• depreciate (in value)

• descend (down)

• (desirable) benefits

• (different) kinds

• disappear (from sight)

• drop (down)

• during (the course of)

• dwindle (down)

E 

• each (and every)

• earlier (in time)

• eliminate (altogether)

• emergency (situation)

• (empty) hole

• empty (out)

• (empty) space

• enclosed (herein)

• (end) result

• enter (in)

• (entirely) eliminate

• equal (to one another)

• eradicate (completely)

• estimated at (about)

• evolve (over time)

• (exact) same

• (exposed) opening

• extradite (back)

F 

• (face) mask

• fall (down)

• (favorable) approval

• (fellow) classmates

• (fellow) colleague

• few (in number)

• filled (to capacity)

• (final) conclusion

• (final) end

• (final) outcome

• (final) ultimatum

• (first and) foremost

• (first) conceived

• first (of all)

• fly (through the air)

• follow (after)

• (foreign) imports

• (former) graduate

• (former) veteran

• (free) gift

• (from) whence

• (frozen) ice

• (frozen) tundra

• full (to capacity)

• (full) satisfaction

• fuse (together)

• (future) plans

• (future) recurrence

G 

• gather (together)

• (general) public

• GOP (party)

• GRE (exam)

• green [or blue or whatever] (in color)

• grow (in size)

H 

• had done (previously)

• (harmful) injuries

• (head) honcho

• heat (up)

• HIV (virus)

• hoist (up)

• (hollow) tube

• hurry (up)

I 

• (illustrated) drawing

• incredible (to believe)

• indicted (on a charge)

• input (into)

• integrate (together)

• integrate (with each other)

• interdependent (on each other)

• introduced (a new)

• introduced (for the first time)

• (ir)regardless

• ISBN (number)

J 

• join (together)

• (joint) collaboration

K 

• kneel (down)

• (knowledgeable) experts

L 

• lag (behind)

• later (time)

• LCD (display)

• lift (up)

• (little) baby

• (live) studio audience

• (live) witness

• (local) residents

• look (ahead) to the future

• look back (in retrospect)

M 

• made (out) of

• (major) breakthrough

• (major) feat

• manually (by hand)

• may (possibly)

• meet (together)

• meet (with each other)

• (mental) telepathy

• merge (together)

• might (possibly)

• minestrone (soup)

• mix (together)

• modern ______ (of today)

• (mutual) cooperation

• (mutually) interdependent

• mutual respect (for each other)

• (number-one) leader in ________

N 

• nape (of her neck)

• (native) habitat

• (natural) instinct

• never (before)

• (new) beginning

• (new) construction

• (new) innovation

• (new) invention

• (new) recruit

• none (at all)

• nostalgia (for the past)

• (now) pending

O 

• off (of)

• (old) adage

• (old) cliche

• (old) custom

• (old) proverb

• (open) trench

• open (up)

• (oral) conversation

• (originally) created

• output (out of)

• (outside) in the yard

• outside (of)

• (over) exaggerate

• over (with)

• (overused) cliche

P 

• (pair of) twins

• palm (of the hand)

• (passing) fad

• (past) experience

• (past) history

• (past) memories

• (past) records

• penetrate (into)

• period (of time)

• (personal) friend

• (personal) opinion

• pick (and choose)

• PIN (number)

• pizza (pie)

• plan (ahead)

• plan (in advance)

• (Please) RSVP

• plunge (down)

• (polar) opposites

• (positive) identification

• postpone (until later)

• pouring (down) rain

• (pre)board (as an airplane)

• (pre)heat

• (pre)record

• (private) industry

• (present) incumbent

• present (time)

• previously listed (above)

• proceed (ahead)

• (proposed) plan

• protest (against)

• pursue (after)

R 

• raise (up)

• RAM (memory)

• reason is (because)

• reason (why)

• recur (again)

• re-elect (for another term)

• refer (back)

• reflect (back)

• (regular) routine

• repeat (again)

• reply (back)

• retreat (back)

• revert (back)

• rise (up)

• round (in shape)

S 

• (safe) haven

• (safe) sanctuary

• same (exact)

• (sand) dune

• scrutinize (in detail)

• self-______ (yourself)

• separated (apart from each other)

• (serious) danger

• share (together)

• (sharp) point

• shiny (in appearance)

• shut (down)

• (single) unit

• skipped (over)

• slow (speed)

• small (size)

• (small) speck

• soft (in texture) [or (to the touch)]

• sole (of the foot)

• spell out (in detail)

• spliced (together)

• start (off) or (out)

• (still) persists

• (still) remains

• (sudden) impulse

• (sum) total

• surrounded (on all sides)

T 

• tall (in height)

• tall (in stature)

• (temper) tantrum

• ten (in number)

• three a.m. (in the morning)

• (three-way) love triangle

• time (period)

• (tiny) bit

• (total) destruction

• (true) facts

• (truly) sincere

• tuna (fish)

• (twelve) noon or midnight

• (two equal) halves

U 

• (ultimate) goal

• undergraduate (student)

• (underground) subway

• (unexpected) emergency

• (unexpected) surprise

• (unintentional) mistake

• (universal) panacea

• (unnamed) anonymous

• UPC (code)

• (usual) custom

V 

• vacillate (back and forth)

• (veiled) ambush

• (very) pregnant

• (very) unique

• visible (to the eye)

W 

• (wall) mural

• warn (in advance)

• weather (conditions)

• weather (situation)

• whether (or not)

• (white) snow

• write (down)