Synonym Chooser

How does the verb excel contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of excel are exceed, outdo, outstrip, surpass, and transcend. While all these words mean "to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree," excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

Where would exceed be a reasonable alternative to excel?

The words exceed and excel are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

When is outdo a more appropriate choice than excel?

Although the words outdo and excel have much in common, outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

When can outstrip be used instead of excel?

The words outstrip and excel can be used in similar contexts, but outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

In what contexts can surpass take the place of excel?

The meanings of surpass and excel largely overlap; however, surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

When is it sensible to use transcend instead of excel?

In some situations, the words transcend and excel are roughly equivalent. However, transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excel Since its establishment, P.S. has excelled in short-form content and social media strategies, driving website traffic and organic engagement. Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 23 June 2025 While there is some overlap in expertise between geriatricians and nurse practitioners, there are areas where nurses typically excel, said Elizabeth White, an assistant professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown University. Jariel Arvin, Miami Herald, 21 June 2025 Billig excelled at the plate, hitting .461 with a 1.154 OPS. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025 Although law enforcement arrested some of the gang’s membership, the group remains active and has excelled at using social engineering tactics, like pretending to be an employee at a targeted company, to gain access. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for excel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excel
Verb
  • In 2023, Luckin’s revenue in China exceeded what Starbucks made there for the first time, bouncing back from an accounting scandal that got Luckin booted from the Nasdaq in 2020.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 2 July 2025
  • Despite Israel’s qualitatively effective defenses, an underlying quantitative war attrition was at play that threatened to degrade Israel’s position over time: Iranian stocks of MRBM-class missiles likely exceeded the number of anti-MRBM interceptors possessed by Israel (ie. Arrow-2 and 3).
    Sebastien Roblin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a 2024 forecast by Research and Markets estimates the digital education sector will surpass $80 billion by 2030, driven by microlearning and online skill monetization.
    Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • The market could surpass those previous records on Friday or early next week, analysts told CBS MoneyWatch.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Brazilian dystopian series 3% is another show that follows people who are struggling financially and enter a competition to better their lives.
    Skyler Trepel, People.com, 30 June 2025
  • Kate Hudson considered being emancipated from her parents, Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, to better her Hollywood career.
    Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • That contract, and Marner’s new 8x12 deal with the Golden Knights, easily eclipsed Day 1’s biggest mover, Gavrikov.
    Carol Schram, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Throughout most of the campaign, Jacinto ranked highly in all of these categories, eclipsed only by stars such as Mapi Leon, Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and Caroline Graham Hansen of Barcelona.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Joya wasn’t with us that day; my mother had handed me enough heavy coins to purchase it from a trinket stand in Trafalgar Square, where long white poles around Nelson’s Column were festooned with regal banners and topped with crowns.
    Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • On the Soundtracks chart, where KPop Demon Hunters enters at No. 1, the album is the first from a Netflix program to top the list in over two years — since Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Volume 4, re-entered atop the list dated Nov. 19, 2022, for its first week at No. 1.
    Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Excel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excel. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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