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
Student of the Week offers schools the chance to celebrate teens who have placed in an art, dance or music competition, excelled in a science fair, won an essay contest, received a scholarship, were recognized for their volunteer service, or excelled in some other way.
—
Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Regardless of his position, he’s excelled.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
That was a domain where the Badgers excelled.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The team, however, has excelled in committing penalties—the fourth most in the league.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Those were the restaurants Los Angeles excelled at because Hollywood is an Establishment town.
—Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025
Even the Nachitoches meat pie — a Cajun version of an empanada, filled with either crawfish or beef — excelled.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
Williams has excelled in New England, registering two sacks, nine total tackles and five stuffs through four games.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
At that very same address two years ago, Smith excelled as Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine for director Matthew Dunster and producer David Pugh.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Regardless of his position, he’s excelled.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
That was a domain where the Badgers excelled.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The team, however, has excelled in committing penalties—the fourth most in the league.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Those were the restaurants Los Angeles excelled at because Hollywood is an Establishment town.
—Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025
Even the Nachitoches meat pie — a Cajun version of an empanada, filled with either crawfish or beef — excelled.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2025
Williams has excelled in New England, registering two sacks, nine total tackles and five stuffs through four games.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
At that very same address two years ago, Smith excelled as Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine for director Matthew Dunster and producer David Pugh.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
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Admissions have not only bounced back but surpassed pre-pandemic levels, despite a dramatic decrease in live-action box office.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
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Though Starship was unable to achieve its most important objectives, the distance the vehicle traveled far surpassed the previous 2025 flights in January and March, when Starship exploded within minutes.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That those numbers exceeded what the Golden State Warriors got from Stephen Curry, who is entering his 16th NBA season, necessitated a changing of the guard at the top.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Adoption exceeded expectations, satisfaction scores held steady, and innovation began bubbling up as teams discovered new ways to apply Copilot beyond the initial roadmap.—
Christopher Lind,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That figure, already the highest on record, is expected to be eclipsed in 2025 as the focus on CEO accountability intensifies, with 25 CEOs resigning year to date after coming under activist pressure, with 20% of the departures occurring at S&P 500 companies.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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For more than two decades, October 3rd was synonymous with Mean Girls Day, but Swifties worldwide will agree that it has now been eclipsed by the release of The Life of a Showgirl.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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It’s topped with tender diced apples, a drizzle of buttery caramel sauce and a streusel crumble that delivers all the comfort of homemade apple pie.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Serve chicken topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, and pickled jalapeno slices (if desired).—
Elizabeth Nelson,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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