as in surpasses
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 excels
One thing Amazon Prime excels at, is coming through on a deadline and delivering (quite literally) on last-minute purchases.
—
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
Dallas’ Daniel Gafford, on the other hand, who didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer and typically limits his offense to dunks and also excels at drawing fouls, ranked in the 97th percentile.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Okudera excels at writing intimate interpersonal moments between characters that are believably and recognizably everyday.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a professional-level camera that also excels in other photography styles and has 8K video capability.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
There are things that UV excels at, and there are things UV lasers can't really do at all (like deep engraving into metal).
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Yari excels at taking down scythe-wielding foes.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
What matters most to new international citizens is feeling secure and being able to build a real life in their new country, and Portugal excels at letting boomers build a new life without losing their roots.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
Mackage really excels with their coats and jackets.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025
Dallas’ Daniel Gafford, on the other hand, who didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer and typically limits his offense to dunks and also excels at drawing fouls, ranked in the 97th percentile.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Okudera excels at writing intimate interpersonal moments between characters that are believably and recognizably everyday.
—Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
This is a professional-level camera that also excels in other photography styles and has 8K video capability.
—Harry Bennett, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2025
There are things that UV excels at, and there are things UV lasers can't really do at all (like deep engraving into metal).
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the Yari excels at taking down scythe-wielding foes.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
What matters most to new international citizens is feeling secure and being able to build a real life in their new country, and Portugal excels at letting boomers build a new life without losing their roots.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
Mackage really excels with their coats and jackets.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excels
Verb
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The food pantry’s national delivery service received 410 new applications for support in just 10 days, an increase Bassett says surpasses their usual total from an entire quarter.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
12 Oct. 2025
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The next 24% tax bracket doesn’t hit until income surpasses $105,700 in 2026.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aldi wants to construct 95 parking spaces, which exceeds the maximum allowed in Franklin’s unified development ordinance, but could be allowed with certain provisions.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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Harvard was ranked second best university and school for 2026, due to its high faculty member to student ratio and average staff salary - which exceeds $105,000 for full-time instructional stuff - as well as its diversity and graduate outcomes.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Estevao is still rough around the edges and asking him to deputise for Palmer is a lot of pressure — but if the main thing Chelsea need in their talisman’s absence is confidence and unpredictability, the teenager tops the list.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
15 Oct. 2025
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Some recipes just feel like a warm hug, and this Southern classic certainly tops the list.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cotton also eclipses natural fibers like wool (3 percent) and hemp (1 percent).—
Catherine Salfino,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Oct. 2025
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The central performance never eclipses the movie.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excels. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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