exceed

verb

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ex·ceed | \ ik-ˈsēd

exceeded; exceeding; exceeds

Definition of exceed

transitive verb

1 : to be greater than or superior to

2 : to go beyond a limit set by exceeded his authority

3 : to extend outside of the river will exceed its banks

intransitive verb

1 : predominate

2 obsolete : overdo

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about exceed

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Choose the Right Synonym for exceed

exceed, surpass, transcend, excel, outdo, outstrip mean to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree. exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement. exceed the speed limit surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill. the book surpassed our expectations transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits. transcended the values of their culture excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others. excels in mathematics outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before. outdid herself this time outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition. outstripped other firms in sales

Examples of exceed in a Sentence

The cost must not exceed 10 dollars. The cost exceeded our estimate. The demand for new housing has already exceeded the supply. He's trying to match or exceed last year's sales.

Recent Examples on the Web Jihadists are only partly to blame WESTERN GOVERNMENTS have long debated whether the costs of intervening in dangerous parts of the world exceed the risks. — The Economist, "Mapping conflict in west Africa Fighting in the Sahel has forced 1.7m people from their homes," 20 June 2020 The World Health Organization recommends products be at least 60 percent alcohol; all of these exceed that minimum. — Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, "5 Places Selling Hand Sanitizer Online That You Should Support," 17 June 2020 The state stipulates that water temperature must not exceed 59 degrees Fahrenheit in order for salmon to stay healthy during upstream migration. — Miranda Weiss, Wired, "In Alaska, Summer's Getting Too Hot for the Salmon Run," 13 June 2020 Black, 68, is suing the university and has been interviewed by a law firm that was hired by the school to investigate complaints, which now exceed 300. — Ed White, Detroit Free Press, "Former University of Michigan gymnast says doctor assaulted him in 1969," 12 June 2020 Mnuchin echoed an argument advanced by Trump and Health Secretary Alex Azar: The health costs of the shutdown may exceed the toll of the virus or already have. — BostonGlobe.com, "The Latest: 2 Florida theme parks reopen as lockdown eases," 11 June 2020 Note: This is a time-intensive recipe that may exceed 24 hours, but a lot of that time is from chilling the farce overnight. — Saveur Editors, Saveur, "The Hardest Food to Make," 11 June 2020 The industry is booming, with sales in the United States expected to exceed $6 billion this year, according to the report. — Katie Hunt, CNN, "Probiotics don't do much for most people's gut health despite the hype, review finds," 9 June 2020 The letter was sent on the day after the chief clinical officer of Arizona's largest health system — Banner Health — said ICU bed occupancy was growing, and that if current trends continued would exceed capacity. — Stephanie Innes, azcentral, "State health director tells Arizona hospitals to 'fully activate' emergency plan," 8 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exceed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.