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
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists.
—
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 24 Jan. 2026
Still, in Premier League terms, both excelled.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Capital One is focused on mass-market commercial banking; Brex excelled at serving high-growth startups and tech companies.
—Ron Shevlin, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, center fielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
—Ronald Blum, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
Led by likely first-round pick Francis Mauigoa at right tackle, the Miami line excelled at protecting Beck.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Jones, Beltrán elected to Baseball Hall of Fame Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, outfielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Washington, whose offensive snap count rose from 414 as a rookie to 563 this past season, excelled as a returner.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
On a positive note, Patullo’s offensive scheme excelled in the red zone, with Philadelphia leading the NFL in efficiency in that area.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 24 Jan. 2026
Still, in Premier League terms, both excelled.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Capital One is focused on mass-market commercial banking; Brex excelled at serving high-growth startups and tech companies.
—Ron Shevlin, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, center fielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
—Ronald Blum, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2026
Led by likely first-round pick Francis Mauigoa at right tackle, the Miami line excelled at protecting Beck.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
Jones, Beltrán elected to Baseball Hall of Fame Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, outfielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Washington, whose offensive snap count rose from 414 as a rookie to 563 this past season, excelled as a returner.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
On a positive note, Patullo’s offensive scheme excelled in the red zone, with Philadelphia leading the NFL in efficiency in that area.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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Consider the Trefis Reinforced Value (RV) Portfolio, which has surpassed its all-cap stocks benchmark (a combination of the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices) to deliver strong returns for investors.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Jalen Brunson scored 20 points and Landry Shamet was 6 for 6 on 3-pointers and added 18 for the Knicks, who led by as much as 59 points before the 54-point victory that surpassed the previous largest victory margin of 48 points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The company said the Series F funding round had exceeded a $15B target, with investors including Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX and Baron Capital Group, along with previous investors Nvidia and Cisco Investments.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
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As of late 2025, cumulative shipments of the 587Ah platform have exceeded 2 GWh.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At the year mark, that continues to be true, and his Presidency has also been eclipsed by this unexpected pivot toward imperialism and overseas adventurism.—
Erin Neil,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
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My curiosity about his nefarious to-do list is eclipsed by excitement.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meredith Gibbs collected 20 points and 18 boards as Dover-Sherborn topped Tri-Valley League opponent Dedham 57-48.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
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To complete the warm golden hues, the automatic movement is topped with a 22-karat gold rotor, which glows through the caseback.—
Carol Besler,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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