as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously
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Recent Examples of excelling
Eva, 16, and Chase, 10, are excelling at school and the family is saving big.
—
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Aubrey Meyer, Colerain High School Aubrey Meyer, a student at Colerain High School, has sought out the most challenging curriculum available, excelling in a full load of Honors and AP courses.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2026
But the sight of a Jew excelling in sports is even more than a bit of representational inspiration.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
The truth is, managing a game and operating within a system of offense are two of the most important things about excelling at the most demanding position in professional sports.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Flanagan High are also known for excelling in competitions.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
While crass and lazy, the moniker did at least have a link to reality at a time when her male counterpart was excelling.
—Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Dee Farrand, 57, of Marana, Arizona, could once run five miles and was excelling at her job in sales.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
John Brodie’s Success Beyond Football Brodie was a man of many hats, excelling as a golfer and television analyst.
—Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Aubrey Meyer, Colerain High School Aubrey Meyer, a student at Colerain High School, has sought out the most challenging curriculum available, excelling in a full load of Honors and AP courses.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2026
But the sight of a Jew excelling in sports is even more than a bit of representational inspiration.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
The truth is, managing a game and operating within a system of offense are two of the most important things about excelling at the most demanding position in professional sports.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Flanagan High are also known for excelling in competitions.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
While crass and lazy, the moniker did at least have a link to reality at a time when her male counterpart was excelling.
—Adam Leventhal, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Dee Farrand, 57, of Marana, Arizona, could once run five miles and was excelling at her job in sales.
—Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
John Brodie’s Success Beyond Football Brodie was a man of many hats, excelling as a golfer and television analyst.
—Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelling
Verb
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CrowdStrike delivered robust quarterly results on Tuesday, exceeding expectations across all key measures.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Both constructions could surge past the project budget record only just set by Lexington High School at $659 million, exceeding the previous record of over $497 million set when Revere High School was approved for a rebuild in April 2024.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Right now, Wrexham are in a sweet spot, still on an upward trajectory, still surpassing their supporters’ wildest dreams and still — despite their unlikely appeal to the American market — a team so intimately connected to their town and the fans on their doorstep.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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In fact, Chin expects the company's DDR5 RDIMM product's gross margin to expand more than 80%, significantly surpassing the HBM margin.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He's been consistent, eclipsing 20 points per game 13 times in SEC play and scoring 10 or more points in all but one game this season.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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In Dallas County, Democrats showed up at nearly a 3-to-1 clip over Republicans, eclipsing the county’s last primary numbers.—
Aarón Torres,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Slovenian superstar scored 22 points in the first quarter, topping 20 in the opening period for the fifth time this season — the most such first quarters in the NBA in one season at least 30 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
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When ready to serve, make the meringue topping.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelling. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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