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
John Brodie’s Success Beyond Football Brodie was a man of many hats, excelling as a golfer and television analyst.
—
Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Parker excelling in that area was a big positive.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
The national rankings, published in October, recognize K-8 schools excelling in academics and student achievement.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Under current manager Oliver Glasner, Palace have traded that dribbling flair for runs in behind, with Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr and last summer's signing Yeremy Pino all excelling in that area.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
And especially for a teenager such as Lehman, who continued to play hockey, and also made time for lacrosse and baseball while excelling in school.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
George Ramsey has impressed in net early on, while forwards Matty Regan, Liam Dolan and Wolfgang Zinger are excelling.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Trevor Woods, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Parker excelling in that area was a big positive.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
The national rankings, published in October, recognize K-8 schools excelling in academics and student achievement.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026
Under current manager Oliver Glasner, Palace have traded that dribbling flair for runs in behind, with Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr and last summer's signing Yeremy Pino all excelling in that area.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
And especially for a teenager such as Lehman, who continued to play hockey, and also made time for lacrosse and baseball while excelling in school.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
George Ramsey has impressed in net early on, while forwards Matty Regan, Liam Dolan and Wolfgang Zinger are excelling.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelling
Verb
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Five elite wing suit flyers navigate an opening in the world’s tallest hotel at speeds exceeding 124 mph.—
Tricia Escobedo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Output climbed by 8% to an all-time high of almost 890,346 tons last year, according to data released by Mines and Minerals Development Minister Paul Kabuswe, who’s confident Zambia can fulfill its ambition of exceeding 1 million tons in 2026.—
Taonga Mitimingi,
Bloomberg,
27 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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In 2025, over $18 trillion in transactions was settled in stablecoins, eclipsing total transactions on traditional payment platforms like Visa and Mastercard, according to crypto research firm Delphi Digital.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
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After surging by over 180% over the past year while eclipsing numerous all-time highs, the precious metal is now trading near its latest record high of slightly under $100 per ounce — a level that seemed unthinkable just 18 months ago when the price of silver was sitting below $30.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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 31 Jan. 2026.
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