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

Daniel Jones excelled in getting off quick strikes before blitzes got home, and the Chiefs’ coverage in those throws was loose. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

Italians have always excelled at thinking outside the box, defying conventions, and finding original solutions. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026

Eleven hospitals that excelled in children’s care in all specialties received a special distinction. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

For example, Bo Horvat once had a quiet tournament in Penticton, and then excelled for the Canucks as a rookie during the 2014-15 season. — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Tong also excelled in the face of adversity, holding Baltimore to one unearned run over six innings. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026

Barisone learned dressage during a middle-class childhood in far-upstate New York, and soon excelled at it. — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

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