1
as in exceeded
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 transcended
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
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 surpassed
The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas' capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Kannapolis also surpassed Burlington for the 18th largest city in North Carolina, Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer with the Office of State Budget and Management, noted.
—John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
While growth slowed in cities like Houston and San Antonio, Austin surpassed the 1-million-residents mark.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Even Canada has now opened its doors to Chinese products like BYD, which surpassed Tesla as the world’s top EV seller last year.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Centering on five boyhood friends reuniting after the death of their beloved basketball coach, director Dennis Dugan‘s film surpassed $270 million at the global box office.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Biden surpassed Ronald Reagan in permissiveness for refugees’ suffering.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 May 2026
Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas' capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Kannapolis also surpassed Burlington for the 18th largest city in North Carolina, Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer with the Office of State Budget and Management, noted.
—John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
While growth slowed in cities like Houston and San Antonio, Austin surpassed the 1-million-residents mark.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 May 2026
Even Canada has now opened its doors to Chinese products like BYD, which surpassed Tesla as the world’s top EV seller last year.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Centering on five boyhood friends reuniting after the death of their beloved basketball coach, director Dennis Dugan‘s film surpassed $270 million at the global box office.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Biden surpassed Ronald Reagan in permissiveness for refugees’ suffering.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpassed
Verb
-
Shamsid-Deen initially sought to impose a 90-day jail term, but prosecutor Jonah Karls informed him that the sentence exceeded his legal authority, something the judge appeared unaware of.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia broke records set in 1896, and exceeded their 20th century average April temperatures by as much as eight degrees.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
By the end of the night, the tech giants had arguably eclipsed the stars that graced the Metropolitan of Art’s famous stairs.—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
-
Marissa Hutton and Ashley Wallace registered a hat trick apiece, while Madeline LeBlanc (goal, four assists) eclipsed 100 career points as Beverly coasted to a 16-0 shutout of Salem.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Surveillance camera footage captured Mott scaling an 8-foot fence topped with barbed wire at the perimeter of the airport in just 15 seconds, then walking across the runway.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Curious which town topped the list?—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surpassed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpassed. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
