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as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind a special school for exceptional children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exceptional Under current policy, decisions to separate soldiers outside standard regulatory grounds rest solely with the secretary of the Army — a power typically reserved for exceptional circumstances. Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 30 May 2025 Nvidia’s fiscal first-quarter results were strong, but tempered by challenges that kept them from being exceptional. Michael Khouw, CNBC, 29 May 2025 She was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian immigrants and, as a teen, was an exceptional figure skater: one who could land double axels with a practiced ease that betrayed the intense commitment behind them. Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 The companies that invest in neurodiversity today are unlocking game-changing innovation, future-proofing their organizations and setting a new standard for what an exceptional workplace looks like. Ben Semmes, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for exceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exceptional
Adjective
  • That’s either extreme confidence or extraordinary stupidity, or some combination.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
  • According to the guide, restaurants have to be consistently extraordinary to garner three stars.
    Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited disabled engines, and a lack of mechanics, as one reason why fire officials did not dispatch more personnel to Pacific Palisades before the Jan. 7 fire.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • In addition to overseeing Social Security benefits for retirees and disabled people, the Social Security Administration helps administer programs run by other agencies, including Medicare and Medicaid.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • In 1950 the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi was discussing the possibility of intelligent alien life with his colleagues.
    Philip Ball, Wired News, 8 June 2025
  • Second, a human must be kept in the loop of intelligent machine decision-making processes.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • These however, are unusual times that call for something more.
    Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
  • The unusual incident was documented on a Reddit page dedicated to all things Walmart.
    Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • The argument that Trump has violated the 10th Amendment is a clever subversion of a line of thinking that has traditionally been backed by conservative judges, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law.
    Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • Barenaked Ladies, Sugar Ray and Fastball Three lively, strident bands known for clever lyrics and fun banter relive the 1990s for you on July 13 at 7 p.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • This is not unique to Arizona, Famiglietti said, with similar signs of disappearing groundwater happening in the agriculture-heavy Central Valley in California.
    Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
  • But that physical training couldn’t prepare him for the unique psychological experience of reaching the top of the world--and then returning safely.
    Mark Joyella, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Adjective
  • However, the study did find that in women who were not cognitively impaired, elevated stress levels or persistently high cortisol in midlife—especially after menopause—may be a silent risk factor, Salardini says.
    Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 5 June 2025
  • Along with a loss of energy, aging felines also start losing their sense of smell and may get impaired vision or hearing, among other physical issues.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • The brilliant fruits of tessellated talents at opposite sides of the world.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The Emerald Coast beaches have fine quartz crystal sand and brilliant green waters, which give the coastline its eponymous name.
    Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Exceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exceptional. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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