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
Traditionally the Red Sox have excelled at developing position players, and over the years the club’s homegrown standouts have usually been hitters.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
The junior excelled in his role as a veteran ball handler alongside Boozer and his twin brother, Cayden.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Brents excelled as a spot starter briefly last season before suffering a foot injury that cut his season short.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Both at junctures of their careers have excelled as sixth men.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Martin, who excelled at Johnson for two seasons, would also be an instant offensive threat.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Today's launch was a significant step forward for Firefly, which has excelled in some areas of its space business more than others.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
But Marsch and Canada’s coaching staff will be confident in the players who have excelled with Davies on the sidelines during the past year.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Apple’s Liquid Retina displays have always excelled for movies and games, and their full sRGB color coverage also helps with work like home photo editing, which the Neo is definitely capable of.
—Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
The junior excelled in his role as a veteran ball handler alongside Boozer and his twin brother, Cayden.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Brents excelled as a spot starter briefly last season before suffering a foot injury that cut his season short.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
Both at junctures of their careers have excelled as sixth men.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Martin, who excelled at Johnson for two seasons, would also be an instant offensive threat.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
Today's launch was a significant step forward for Firefly, which has excelled in some areas of its space business more than others.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2026
But Marsch and Canada’s coaching staff will be confident in the players who have excelled with Davies on the sidelines during the past year.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Apple’s Liquid Retina displays have always excelled for movies and games, and their full sRGB color coverage also helps with work like home photo editing, which the Neo is definitely capable of.
—Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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The Brand New Day trailer surpassed Deadpool & Wolverine’s 24-hour benchmark in just eight hours with a remarkable 373 million views.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
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Earlier this week, diesel surpassed $5 a gallon for the first time since 2022.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The value of your deduction is reduced above those thresholds, but it will be disallowed if your MAGI exceeded $149,000 ($249,000 for joint filers).—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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Sri Lanka’s Mogo Studios, another first-time exhibitor, said the market exceeded expectations.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The sunniness outside is eclipsed by that inside the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Durant had already eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) and Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) this season before moving up again Saturday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Charred flatbreads are also on the menu alongside heartier mains like pan-seared branzino and rib eye steak topped with golden butter.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
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In the gutter, the usual New Orleans blend of litter and live-oak leaves was topped by a shimmering layer of pink fish scales glinting in the sun.—
Daniel Brook,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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