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
Here’s who else excelled this week.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
In his work, Aguhar excelled at building bridges between people, between movements and between money and community.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Jaylen Brown has excelled while shouldering the biggest offensive load of his career.
—Jay King, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Beyond their performance on the field, the team excelled in their judging session, leaving a strong impression across all categories.
—Dawn Giangiulio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Prestonwood couldn’t overcome a cold shooting stretch and an opposing offense that excelled in making plays off the dribble, dropping a 70-56 decision to Houston The Village in the TAPPS 6A state championship game at Robinson High School.
—Rick Kretzschmar, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from makeup artists and dermatologists.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 26 Feb. 2026
Udeh’s younger siblings also excelled in sports.
—Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Kevin Fiala, Winger, Switzerland Fiala, one of the top forwards for an emergent Swiss side that excelled at the World Championships in recent years, saw his tournament cut calamitously short.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
In his work, Aguhar excelled at building bridges between people, between movements and between money and community.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Jaylen Brown has excelled while shouldering the biggest offensive load of his career.
—Jay King, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Beyond their performance on the field, the team excelled in their judging session, leaving a strong impression across all categories.
—Dawn Giangiulio, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Prestonwood couldn’t overcome a cold shooting stretch and an opposing offense that excelled in making plays off the dribble, dropping a 70-56 decision to Houston The Village in the TAPPS 6A state championship game at Robinson High School.
—Rick Kretzschmar, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from makeup artists and dermatologists.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 26 Feb. 2026
Udeh’s younger siblings also excelled in sports.
—Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Kevin Fiala, Winger, Switzerland Fiala, one of the top forwards for an emergent Swiss side that excelled at the World Championships in recent years, saw his tournament cut calamitously short.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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But its momentum has slowed over the past decade, exacerbated by stringent pandemic controls, while regional rival India has surpassed it as the fastest-growing major economy.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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In February, the company’s exports surpassed its domestic sales for the first time, according to CNBC’s calculations.—
Matthew Chin,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the prospect of helping British households with soaring energy bills as oil prices exceeded $100-a-barrel for the first time since 2022, with little sign that the war in Iran is nearing resolution.—
Philip Aldrick,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
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As a weekend of intense Santa Ana winds wound down, temperatures neared — or exceeded — all-time highs in Southern California on Sunday.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pittman, 28, eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in two of his six seasons in Indy but finished with 784 — his fewest since 2020 — last year.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
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Both fastballs eclipsed 97 mph.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the mornings, a table-service breakfast comes included with the nightly rate for hotel guests, and options include yogurt and granola, eggs Benedict, and oatmeal topped with fruit, plus a selection of coffee or juice.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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For a firm texture, press the block between paper towels using a heavy weight, such as a sheet pan topped with a can of tomatoes, for 15 to 30 minutes before cooking.—
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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