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
In particular, the Golden Knights excelled at denying Utah on the power play.
—
ABC News, 2 May 2026
Colbert converted from safety to linebacker last season and excelled on special teams before sustaining a season-ending injury in the second half of the year.
—Omar Kelly
may 1, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Brooks’ athletes excelled across different categories.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Kennedi was remembered in her obituary as a passionate athlete and softball player, a student who excelled academically and a dedicated member of her local church.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Researchers based at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that an AI reasoning model, developed by OpenAI, excelled at diagnosing patients and making decisions about managing their care.
—Will Stone, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
But Barrera saw something in the quartet — Dylan Myrick, Dillon Parsons, Ingrid Ferguson and his son, Logan —and they not only have excelled in the vault, but as seniors are contributing in other events as well.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Dawn Staley has excelled with bringing in portal guards — Te-Hina Paopao and Latson became starters in their first (or only) seasons with the program, and even Kierra Fletcher during the 2022-23 season was a vital part of that team.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
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
ABC News, 2 May 2026
Colbert converted from safety to linebacker last season and excelled on special teams before sustaining a season-ending injury in the second half of the year.
—Omar Kelly
may 1, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
Brooks’ athletes excelled across different categories.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Kennedi was remembered in her obituary as a passionate athlete and softball player, a student who excelled academically and a dedicated member of her local church.
—Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Researchers based at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that an AI reasoning model, developed by OpenAI, excelled at diagnosing patients and making decisions about managing their care.
—Will Stone, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
But Barrera saw something in the quartet — Dylan Myrick, Dillon Parsons, Ingrid Ferguson and his son, Logan —and they not only have excelled in the vault, but as seniors are contributing in other events as well.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Dawn Staley has excelled with bringing in portal guards — Te-Hina Paopao and Latson became starters in their first (or only) seasons with the program, and even Kierra Fletcher during the 2022-23 season was a vital part of that team.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
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
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 3 May. 2026.
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