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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
No other state has ever surpassed the $6-a-gallon mark.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The story’s most significant character, save Miranda herself, is Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who once toiled alongside Emily in the assistant trenches and finally surpassed her.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All of his last three efforts on Friday exceeded 49 feet.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
Net interest payments have already surpassed $1 trillion in fiscal year 2026, nearly triple the $345 billion paid in 2020, and have eclipsed defense spending for the first time in modern history.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Public health officials confirmed more than 650 cases in January alone, and the outbreak quickly eclipsed the 2025 outbreak in West Texas that sickened at least 762 people and killed two school-age children.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This one is infused with marrow and topped with radish, plus more onion, cilantro and salsa on those beautiful blue corn tortillas.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
International benchmark Brent Crude topped $112 a barrel Tuesday with no clear indication of an imminent resolution to the war that has severely constrained shipping traffic through the strait.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
