surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt 
surmounted; surmounting; surmounts
1
: to prevail over : overcome
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of
4
obsolete
: to surpass in quality or attainment : excel
Did you know?
Our verb mount, meaning "ascend, get up onto", comes from the same Latin root as mountain, and we keep those images in mind when using surmount, since climbing up or over a mountain is a symbol of achievement. The word almost always refers to human effort, and almost always in a positive way; thus, we speak of surmounting difficulties, surmounting problems, surmounting hurdles, surmounting handicaps—you get the idea.
Examples of surmount in a Sentence
an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals
Recent Examples on the Web
The 3-1 deficit proved too much for the Dodgers to surmount — ending a day that had begun with so much optimism around Ohtani’s two-way talents with a dud of a performance and frustrating series loss in Queens.
—
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Hosted by Manu Bennett, the series followed a group of contestants tasked with climbing a treacherous mountain, all while surmounting mental and social challenges.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025
Restarting Unit 1 will require Constellation to surmount engineering and regulatory hurdles, and address the public relations challenge of overcoming the site’s historical link to nuclear disaster.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
Defenseman Darnell Nurse should see his first action since Feb. 25 after surmounting a minor injury.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surmount
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Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025
Hosted by Manu Bennett, the series followed a group of contestants tasked with climbing a treacherous mountain, all while surmounting mental and social challenges.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025
Restarting Unit 1 will require Constellation to surmount engineering and regulatory hurdles, and address the public relations challenge of overcoming the site’s historical link to nuclear disaster.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2024
Defenseman Darnell Nurse should see his first action since Feb. 25 after surmounting a minor injury.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for surmount
Cite this Entry
“Surmount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surmount. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt
1
: overcome sense 1
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of : crown
a weather vane surmounts the roof
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