as in surpassed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
two vaccine developers who spent years vigorously trying to outdo one another's research
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Recent Examples of outdid
With its substantial political resources and $22 million in spending — perhaps even more — AIPAC far outdid other groups in outside spending in Black and underserved communities.
—
Jesse Jackson Jr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
James outdid himself later in the same game against Cleveland — taking flight to slam a lob from Austin Reaves.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
When, in 1941, Rodin performed in an evening of Shakespeare scenes, the émigré newspaper Aufbau raved that his Puck outdid Rooney’s.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Basically, Bath & Body and Disney really outdid themselves on this collab.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 11 Feb. 2026
Each day somehow outdid the last.
—Sandy Pierre, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
In a first half of memorable moments, unimaginable meltdowns and scintillating finishes, the Penguins outdid themselves on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Stranger Things outdid itself with the premiere of its final season over the Thanksgiving holiday.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2025
Ohtani outdid himself again Monday night with another performance for the ages in Game 3 of the World Series, and Freeman’s walk-off homer in the 18th inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays—a game that’s tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Jesse Jackson Jr, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
James outdid himself later in the same game against Cleveland — taking flight to slam a lob from Austin Reaves.
—Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
When, in 1941, Rodin performed in an evening of Shakespeare scenes, the émigré newspaper Aufbau raved that his Puck outdid Rooney’s.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
Basically, Bath & Body and Disney really outdid themselves on this collab.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 11 Feb. 2026
Each day somehow outdid the last.
—Sandy Pierre, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
In a first half of memorable moments, unimaginable meltdowns and scintillating finishes, the Penguins outdid themselves on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Stranger Things outdid itself with the premiere of its final season over the Thanksgiving holiday.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 22 Dec. 2025
Ohtani outdid himself again Monday night with another performance for the ages in Game 3 of the World Series, and Freeman’s walk-off homer in the 18th inning gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays—a game that’s tied for the longest Fall Classic contest ever.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outdid
Verb
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This rise in fatalities coincides with a record-high detention population, which recently surpassed 70,000 people in federal immigration custody.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The season finale audience was up 30% from the previous week and surpassed the Season 1 finale in 2019, which earned 530,000 viewers.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Johnson and Mazzulla both led teams that widely exceeded most preseason expectations.—
Tim Reynolds,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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The ordeal began with a miscalculation in northern Chile, just south of Calama, where energy demands quickly exceeded expectations.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Saturday’s season high eclipsed them all.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Away from the Atlantic seaboard, Cincinnati was only eclipsed by New Orleans, another busy trading hub connected by the nation’s riverboats.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Of course, they're still topped with that decadent with cream cheese frosting.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
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The company’s insurer, UnitedHealthcare, and Optum both topped analysts’ sales estimates for the quarter, according to StreetAccount.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outdid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outdid. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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