as in excellent
of the very best kind
the New England town meeting is a superlative example of grassroots democracy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in exaggeration
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of superlative
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
The best films of 2025 are rich with ensembles, with some offering half a dozen performances that feel worthy of year-end superlative consideration.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Nebraska’s program has become a commercial superlative across all of college sports—not just among women’s programs.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for superlative
Adjective
Top-tier television used to entice movie stars with the promise of meaty roles and superlative writing; 2025 television enlists battalions of Oscar winners by waving around a script based on a mid-tier best seller and the prospect of a couple of months on location in Nantucket.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
The best films of 2025 are rich with ensembles, with some offering half a dozen performances that feel worthy of year-end superlative consideration.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Noun
There are no Guinness World Records here, and nothing superlative about its architecture or design.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Jan. 2026
Nebraska’s program has become a commercial superlative across all of college sports—not just among women’s programs.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for superlative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for superlative
Adjective
-
Alliums are excellent neighbors to beets, brassicas, tomatoes, and more.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This bracelet makes an excellent Mother’s Day jewelry gift.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This, and jokes like it, transcend absurd exaggeration to achieve something much closer to magical realism.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Behind the private gates of Clos du Lac, where vineyards edge the winding roads, one hilltop estate overlooking Folsom Lake pulls off the Mediterranean spirit so seamlessly that comparisons to the Italian countryside don’t feel like exaggeration.—
David Caraccio
March 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His disaffection baffles his acquaintances and pains his tubercular wife (a superb Quinn Jackson), whose doctor (Lambert Tamin) has only contempt for her husband’s agonizing.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
UConn's superb sophomore already has five points in the first four minutes of this semifinal, including a 3-pointer.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Parodies, comedies, satire, sarcasm, hyperbole.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The New York Jets live in a world of hyperbole, where moments and words get exaggerated beyond the point of their original meaning.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But that is the context of a wonderful performance.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
And serialization is a glorious, wonderful thing that happens automatically to a show that people love.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Under magnification the spores appear roundish, colorless, and smooth to slightly rough.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Mar. 2026
-
With the 10x eyepiece lenses and the 3x objective lens, the overall magnification of 30x gave a wide field of view and enabled good magnification of a large portion of the specimen.—
Heather Barker,
Space.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Gujarat, on the back of Sai Sudharsan’s 73 off 44 and tailenders Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, mounted a terrific comeback to reduce the chase to a reachable 15 off the last 12 balls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The press release did not provide details on the allegations and the office did not respond to a message seeking elaboration on specific cases.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
To highlight his creative process, instead of a look book, Mabire-Larguier showcased the toile of his design on a dummy at the entrance to the studio, with pattern-marks and pins on show, all the better to signify the technique involved in its elaboration.—
Alex Wynne,
Footwear News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Superlative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/superlative. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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