as in exceeding
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 excelling
The Patriots have only improved since and now field one of the most effective and balanced offenses in the league, while also excelling on defense and special teams.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
They were bred for close human partnership, excelling everywhere from hunting fields to guide-dog and search-and-rescue work.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Parents often assume their children are excelling because the report card says so.
—Christine E Rodriguez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2025
Stoppard did indeed embrace his Britishness, attending boarding school in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and excelling at cricket.
—Laura Clark, Variety, 29 Nov. 2025
Especially in this high-tech state, now the world center of the AI revolution, not producing an adequate number of students excelling in math is more than a waste of precious tax dollars.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Nov. 2025
Apple is excelling with its original content and a lot of it is quality sci-fi viewing.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025
While excelling in both academics and athletics, Smith is also president of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes club.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
The investment supports Australia’s goal of excelling in hypersonic flight and building a robust aerospace manufacturing industry.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
They were bred for close human partnership, excelling everywhere from hunting fields to guide-dog and search-and-rescue work.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Parents often assume their children are excelling because the report card says so.
—Christine E Rodriguez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2025
Stoppard did indeed embrace his Britishness, attending boarding school in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and excelling at cricket.
—Laura Clark, Variety, 29 Nov. 2025
Especially in this high-tech state, now the world center of the AI revolution, not producing an adequate number of students excelling in math is more than a waste of precious tax dollars.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Nov. 2025
Apple is excelling with its original content and a lot of it is quality sci-fi viewing.
—Alexander Cox, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025
While excelling in both academics and athletics, Smith is also president of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes club.
—Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean, 10 Nov. 2025
The investment supports Australia’s goal of excelling in hypersonic flight and building a robust aerospace manufacturing industry.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelling
Verb
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Anta’s per share offer price isn’t known, and Artémis reportedly expected bids exceeding 40 euros per share.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
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That ruling, which was recently overturned by an appellate court, stood in stark contrast to the will of Tesla’s shareholders, who have now affirmed the substance of the 2018 CEO Performance Award on three separate occasions, each with support exceeding 75% of votes cast.—
Shane Goodwin,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That measure passed overwhelmingly, by a 2-to-1 majority, easily surpassing that of the original initiative.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Pomegranates have reached super stature and have been dubbed the new super fruit, surpassing blueberries as the antioxidant of choice for heart health.—
Mary Ann Esposito,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This tale sets the scene for the fifth stage of the Mustang Trail Race–an annual eight-stage event totaling 105 miles with roughly 29,000 feet of elevation gain at high altitudes regularly eclipsing 13,000 feet.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
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Rice farming also led Yuba County’s agricultural industries at $52 million, narrowly eclipsing walnuts ($51 million) and kiwi ($48 million).—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Consider boosting your fiber further by topping your oats with additional high-fiber options, such as your favorite high-fiber fruit.—
Regina Windsor,
Verywell Health,
8 Jan. 2026
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Unsurprisingly, topping the list of nominees is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, with nine nods, closely followed by Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value with eight, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners with seven, and Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet with six.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelling. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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