OUTDO Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'outdo' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of outdo are exceed , excel , outstrip , surpass , and transcend . While all these words mean "to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree," outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before. // outdid herself this time

Q: When would 'exceed' be a good substitute for 'outdo'?

The words exceed and outdo are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement. // exceed the speed limit

Q: When could 'excel' be used to replace 'outdo'?

In some situations, the words excel and outdo are roughly equivalent. However, excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others. // excels in mathematics

Q: When can 'outstrip' be used instead of 'outdo'?

The meanings of outstrip and outdo largely overlap; however, outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition. // outstripped other firms in sales

Q: When is it sensible to use 'surpass' instead of 'outdo'?

While the synonyms surpass and outdo are close in meaning, surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill. // the book surpassed our expectations

Q: When might 'transcend' be a better fit than 'outdo'?

The synonyms transcend and outdo are sometimes interchangeable, but transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits. // transcended the values of their culture

outdo

verb

ˌau̇t-ˈdü

Definition of outdo next

as in to surpass

to be greater, better, or stronger than two vaccine developers who spent years vigorously trying to outdo one another's research

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lose (to)

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb outdo contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of outdo are exceed, excel, outstrip, surpass, and transcend. While all these words mean "to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree," outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

When would exceed be a good substitute for outdo?

The words exceed and outdo are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

When could excel be used to replace outdo?

In some situations, the words excel and outdo are roughly equivalent. However, excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

When can outstrip be used instead of outdo?

The meanings of outstrip and outdo largely overlap; however, outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

When is it sensible to use surpass instead of outdo?

While the synonyms surpass and outdo are close in meaning, surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

When might transcend be a better fit than outdo?

The synonyms transcend and outdo are sometimes interchangeable, but transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

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 outdo Not to be outdone, its Moorea shorts subtly incorporate both the brand’s trademark turtle and a shadowy check pattern through jacquard weaving. —

Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 23 May 2026 Syracuse made last season’s Final Four with the aforementioned thriller versus Princeton, but it was outdone by Maryland, the eventual runner-up. —

Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 23 May 2026 The building, however, would be outdone by the Empire State Building just four months later. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026 The sisters’ mission involves a dangerous and violent road trip; the fierce Racine outdoes the sensitive Anaia in her bloodlust, and the drama, reminiscent of classical tragedy, resounds with mythopoetic overtones. —

Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for outdo

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outdo

Verb

Seven decades later that number has climbed to seventy-three, while those in the richest nations have surpassed an average of over fourscore years, a number the Bible reserves for only the most vigorous among us.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
In the meantime, there is a World Cup to win and Os Magricos to surpass.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 10 June 2026