as in surpassed
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 excelled
Weber excelled in schools and later, academia, helping to found the Africana Studies Department at San Diego State University.
—
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Jaquez, who still has one more season left on his rookie-scale contract but is eligible for a five-year extension at a maximum of about $245 million this summer, accepted and excelled in a bench role this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Clarke excelled laying his body on the line to thwart shot attempts and foil odd-man rushes while remaining the Kings’ most mobile defender and their best rearguard by far with the puck.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Google phones have always excelled at taking pictures, with high-quality lenses and advanced post-processing, and the Pixel 8 Pro goes even further, with a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultra-wide camera, and 48MP telephoto lens in the camera bar on the back of the device.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
Elizabeth excelled in all the subjects that would prepare her to complete the all-important matura exam and enroll in university.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Sibomana-Rodriguez has excelled at wrestling.
—Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Palou, whose Ganassi team excelled in the pits last April, agreed.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Traoré took his lumps early but started and excelled down the stretch.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Jaquez, who still has one more season left on his rookie-scale contract but is eligible for a five-year extension at a maximum of about $245 million this summer, accepted and excelled in a bench role this season.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
Clarke excelled laying his body on the line to thwart shot attempts and foil odd-man rushes while remaining the Kings’ most mobile defender and their best rearguard by far with the puck.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Google phones have always excelled at taking pictures, with high-quality lenses and advanced post-processing, and the Pixel 8 Pro goes even further, with a 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultra-wide camera, and 48MP telephoto lens in the camera bar on the back of the device.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
Elizabeth excelled in all the subjects that would prepare her to complete the all-important matura exam and enroll in university.
—Marcy Thompson, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Sibomana-Rodriguez has excelled at wrestling.
—Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
Palou, whose Ganassi team excelled in the pits last April, agreed.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Traoré took his lumps early but started and excelled down the stretch.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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Previously, agents and teams haggled over contracts that surpassed what top veteran players earned.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Last year was the first time her income surpassed her husband's salary, Feret told USA TODAY.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of his last three efforts on Friday exceeded 49 feet.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Tracking put the domestic tally at somewhere between $65 and $70 million, and those expectations were far exceeded.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s season high eclipsed them all.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Away from the Atlantic seaboard, Cincinnati was only eclipsed by New Orleans, another busy trading hub connected by the nation’s riverboats.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Of course, they're still topped with that decadent with cream cheese frosting.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
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The company’s insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and Optum both topped analysts’ sales estimates for the quarter, according to StreetAccount.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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