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
Harrison was flipped to the Brewers in the offseason, and, surprise, surprise, has immediately excelled.
—
Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
While several wines excelled in individual categories, this was the bottle that seemed to do everything well, striking a balance between complexity and drinkability.
—Emily Cappiello, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
However, more and more retailers are now releasing petite-friendly styles, and Quince has excelled at crafting high-quality wardrobe essentials that don’t require any alterations.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2026
Kurtz and Rice have excelled in different areas this season — Kurtz with on-base ability and Rice with power — but both have put together outstanding all-around campaigns.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2026
Hayes excelled as a Contra Costa Times columnist and sports reporter from 1991 to 2006 before moving to his native Illinois and working for the Chicago Sun-Times.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Cowan is an intriguing centerpiece who excelled during his time with OHL London (especially in the playoffs) and posted 29 points (11 goals and 18 assists) in 66 games as a 20-year-old NHL rookie this season.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 June 2026
In the playoffs, Fletcher excelled.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Prince also excelled at crafting perfect song endings, and this is undoubtedly one of his best.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
While several wines excelled in individual categories, this was the bottle that seemed to do everything well, striking a balance between complexity and drinkability.
—Emily Cappiello, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
However, more and more retailers are now releasing petite-friendly styles, and Quince has excelled at crafting high-quality wardrobe essentials that don’t require any alterations.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2026
Kurtz and Rice have excelled in different areas this season — Kurtz with on-base ability and Rice with power — but both have put together outstanding all-around campaigns.
—Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2026
Hayes excelled as a Contra Costa Times columnist and sports reporter from 1991 to 2006 before moving to his native Illinois and working for the Chicago Sun-Times.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 13 June 2026
Cowan is an intriguing centerpiece who excelled during his time with OHL London (especially in the playoffs) and posted 29 points (11 goals and 18 assists) in 66 games as a 20-year-old NHL rookie this season.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 June 2026
In the playoffs, Fletcher excelled.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Prince also excelled at crafting perfect song endings, and this is undoubtedly one of his best.
—Ahmir “questlove” Thompson, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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In the sixth inning, Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez surpassed Hall of Famer George Brett with his 137th career home run at the club’s home venue.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
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None of the Senate candidates surpassed the 50% threshold required to win, and Ossoff and Warnock headed to a January 2021 runoff against their Republican opponents.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Twice in the ‘70s, total volume exceeded one million acre-feet.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
14 June 2026
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Now, more than a year after bringing the project to life, DeCarlo says the investment has exceeded expectations.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Before ending his career, Tanter witnessed another Laker capture the all-time scoring record as James eclipsed Abdul-Jabbar's 38,287 points.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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The group’s commercial success in later years eclipsed the band’s experimental origins.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Verb
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In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 briefly topped 70,000 for the first time Tuesday before trimming early gains after the Bank of Japan raised its key interest rate to 1%.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
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They are ranked 28th by FIFA and topped their qualifying group with eight wins in 10 qualifier matches.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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