1
as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
she always tried to surpass her older brother at anything he did
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in transcending
to go beyond the limit of
the sales of the band's newest CD have surpassed the combined sales of its last two albums
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in extraordinary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 surpassing
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Morgan Stanley posted a blockbuster third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, far surpassing analyst expectations and posting its biggest earnings beat in nearly five years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
But the International Finance Corporation now estimates that Chattogram has become the second-most expensive in the region with the new price hikes, surpassing 13 competing south Asian ports.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
In the age of streaming, surpassing even one million in album sales is a feat to be celebrated.
—Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
By exploiting quantum states that resist thermalization, their new approach converts waste heat into electricity more effectively than conventional methods, surpassing traditional thermodynamic limits.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
According to the findings, a whopping 34 percent of respondents said Maui was the most romantic destination in the world, surpassing Paris by a full percentage point.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025
The 2025 gains for the precious metal are historic, surpassing prior turbulent periods such as after the September 11 terror attacks, the 2008 financial meltdown or even the pandemic.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Thanks to your talent, dedication and teamwork, our studio has achieved a milestone that hasn’t been achieved since 2019 – surpassing $4 billion at the global box office with just 11 films.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
No one goes home this week After surpassing 50 million votes, no one is going home tonight.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
Morgan Stanley posted a blockbuster third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, far surpassing analyst expectations and posting its biggest earnings beat in nearly five years.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
But the International Finance Corporation now estimates that Chattogram has become the second-most expensive in the region with the new price hikes, surpassing 13 competing south Asian ports.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025
In the age of streaming, surpassing even one million in album sales is a feat to be celebrated.
—Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
By exploiting quantum states that resist thermalization, their new approach converts waste heat into electricity more effectively than conventional methods, surpassing traditional thermodynamic limits.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
According to the findings, a whopping 34 percent of respondents said Maui was the most romantic destination in the world, surpassing Paris by a full percentage point.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025
The 2025 gains for the precious metal are historic, surpassing prior turbulent periods such as after the September 11 terror attacks, the 2008 financial meltdown or even the pandemic.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Thanks to your talent, dedication and teamwork, our studio has achieved a milestone that hasn’t been achieved since 2019 – surpassing $4 billion at the global box office with just 11 films.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpassing
Verb
-
The study showed that the robot could make multiple turns exceeding 100 degrees along its body length when activated.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But Vrabel’s methods are working, because the Patriots are exceeding expectations and punching above their weight atop the AFC East standings.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Every chapter has its own life, and this one has been extraordinary.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The extraordinary vote in November was to decide whether Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster and member of the EBU, could participate in the Eurovision 2026.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
New York — Build-A-Bear Workshop, the nearly 30-year-old toy brand, is having a breakout moment, eclipsing some of Wall Street’s biggest winners by targeting customers across a broad age range.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Streaming contributed 84,000 stream-equivalent sales to her total this week, eclipsing both Ed Sheeran’s Divide and her own previous studio album The Tortured Poets Department, both of which managed 79,000.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Nuno infused the former Burnley and Newcastle player with supreme levels of confidence.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In the Israeli and Jewish ethos, this is a supreme moral and operational duty that underpins the Israeli fighting spirit and national resilience.—
Ehud Barak,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The trio have been taking their chart-topping song on the road for live performances on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Penn State's James Franklin’s recent losses to UCLA and Northwestern earned him a trip to buyout beach — Penn State owes Franklin a buyout topping $49 million, according to his term sheet, the second-largest severance payday in college football history.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Challenging No mystical name is superlative enough to describe Washington’s Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the Enchantments, a land of high-elevation teal lakes, dramatic spires, and, come fall, golden larches.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
While the Houston Rockets understandably hogged summer offseason headlines early for their blockbuster trade acquisition of Kevin Durant and some great free agent signings, the Knicks have quietly enjoyed a superlative summer of team-building.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
China’s sweeping new restrictions, some of which won’t take effect until November, could deal a huge blow to East Asian economies, such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which play critical roles in the global tech and artificial intelligence supply chain, as well as the auto industries.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Chiefs won a huge game, and Reid played a huge role in putting them in position.—
Sam McDowell
October 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Howl at hootenanny Ozark Natural Science Center presents the annual Bear Hollow Hootenanny fundraiser Saturday and Sunday at the center's main campus north of Huntsville adjacent to the Madison County Wildlife Management Area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Oct. 2025
-
D’Angelo wrote, arranged, and performed almost the entire album album by himself, with some additional contributions coming from Saadiq, Q-Tip, and his main collaborator, A Tribe Called Quest’s go-to engineer Bob Power.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surpassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpassing. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share