excels; excelled; excelling
1
: to be better than others
—usually + at or in
He excelled at whatever role he played.
She excels in sports.
2
: to be or do better than (others)
She excels everyone else in sports.
(Brit) She really excelled herself [=she did much better than usual] in her last race!
Cite this Entry
“Excel.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/excel. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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