as in surpassing
to be greater, better, or stronger than
before he had reached his teens, the child prodigy had outstripped his music teacher's abilities
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Recent Examples of outstripping
Primerica’s research reports that nearly seven out of 10 households (69%) say the costs of living are outstripping their income.
—
Mark Davis, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
In 2025, a staggering 623,000 people claimed to be home health and personal assistants, making it by far the biggest occupation in the state, far outstripping retail salespersons, nurses or cashiers and waitresses.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
The nonpartisan office attributed that to state spending outstripping revenue.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The shortage market is outstripping sustainable energy’s capacity.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Dec. 2025
Another area in which China’s high-end capabilities are already outstripping those of the United States is in airborne long-range early warning and command system (AWACS) aircraft.
—Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
By some metrics the economy isn't doing badly — the White House has been pointing to falling gas prices and the fact that wages have been outstripping inflation.
—December 12, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Tech giants justify that spending by saying demand is outstripping supply.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
But analysts are concerned that AI investment is outstripping earnings.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Mark Davis, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
In 2025, a staggering 623,000 people claimed to be home health and personal assistants, making it by far the biggest occupation in the state, far outstripping retail salespersons, nurses or cashiers and waitresses.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
The nonpartisan office attributed that to state spending outstripping revenue.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The shortage market is outstripping sustainable energy’s capacity.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Dec. 2025
Another area in which China’s high-end capabilities are already outstripping those of the United States is in airborne long-range early warning and command system (AWACS) aircraft.
—Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
By some metrics the economy isn't doing badly — the White House has been pointing to falling gas prices and the fact that wages have been outstripping inflation.
—December 12, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Tech giants justify that spending by saying demand is outstripping supply.
—Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
But analysts are concerned that AI investment is outstripping earnings.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outstripping
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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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
-
Kepler alone identified around 3,000 eclipsing binaries, where the stars regularly pass in front of each other from our point of view.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But in many organizations, that lesson gets distorted, with speaking eclipsing the far more powerful discipline of listening.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 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
“Outstripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outstripping. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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