Synonyms of excelled

excelled

verb

past tense of excel

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surpassed
• exceeded
• eclipsed
• topped
• outshone
• bettered
• transcended
• outdid
• outstripped
• outclassed
• mastered
• outdistanced
• beat
• outmatched
• outgunned
• overcame
• overtopped
• overshadowed
• went one better
• towered (over)
• defeated
• outpaced
• bested
• outperformed
• outweighed
• conquered
• outran
• surmounted
• subdued
• prevailed (over)
• overpassed
• trounced
• ran circles around
• shamed
• won (against)
• trumped
• licked
• overmatched
• worsted
• clobbered
• routed
• triumphed (over)
• outraced
• one-upped
• thrashed
• crushed
• outcompeted
• whipped
• walloped
• trimmed
• drubbed
• outbalanced
• skunked
• overbore

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lost (to)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of excelled

Remembering that Trejo excelled in boxing, Bunker asked him to train the film’s star, Eric Roberts. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2026

And Brian Hamilton says Engelbert excelled at the numbers stuff. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dentists. — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 8 Sep. 2026

The school’s soccer teams have also excelled in recent years, with the women Foresters going undefeated in their conference for the last three years and finishing last season with a 21-1 overall record. — Andis Robeznieks, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2026

The Hurricanes also excelled on third and fourth downs; the Cardinal converted just 5 of 16 third- and fourth-down attempts. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2026

One genre that has excelled in the format is reality television. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

The groups dedicated to selling tickets and sponsorships, and the groups who are tasked with finding new ways to get people to attend baseball games, have excelled in the face of adversity this season. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

The city excelled in recreation amenities, especially playgrounds and athletic fields. — Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026