1
as in exceeds
to be greater, better, or stronger than
she always tried to surpass her older brother at anything he did
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2
as in transcends
to go beyond the limit of
the sales of the band's newest CD have surpassed the combined sales of its last two albums
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Recent Examples of surpasses
Sometimes, the pantry uses monetary funds to replenish supply, but the demand — both from Muslims and non-Muslims — often surpasses what’s available.
—
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Arrow Lake processors offer abundant processing power that often surpasses that of their direct competitors.
—Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Singularity is the hypothetical point when AI surpasses human intelligence, causing unpredictable change.
—Lola Murti, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
And when a disappearance surpasses three months, it's usually considered a long-term case.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
This surpasses a 250-second record previously held by NASA.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
To put this in perspective, the sum surpasses annual military spending for every country on the planet aside from the United States and China.
—Phillip Atiba Solomon, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
China’s domestic regulation of AI surpasses the efforts of most other countries in the world, in part because of its longstanding censorship apparatus.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
People would generally agree that of all the mainstream country stars out there now, no one surpasses you as far as really having an appreciation and aptitude for bluegrass.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Arrow Lake processors offer abundant processing power that often surpasses that of their direct competitors.
—Michael Justin Allen Sexton, PC Magazine, 11 Mar. 2026
Singularity is the hypothetical point when AI surpasses human intelligence, causing unpredictable change.
—Lola Murti, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
And when a disappearance surpasses three months, it's usually considered a long-term case.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 27 Feb. 2026
This surpasses a 250-second record previously held by NASA.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
To put this in perspective, the sum surpasses annual military spending for every country on the planet aside from the United States and China.
—Phillip Atiba Solomon, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
China’s domestic regulation of AI surpasses the efforts of most other countries in the world, in part because of its longstanding censorship apparatus.
—Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
People would generally agree that of all the mainstream country stars out there now, no one surpasses you as far as really having an appreciation and aptitude for bluegrass.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpasses
Verb
-
Stroll through its 52-block historic district dotted with Victorian mansions, legendary seafood shacks, and an arts scene that far exceeds expectations for a small town.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The spokesperson said that exceeds the state minimum standards, which call for checks every 30 minutes on at-risk or high-risk inmates.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His fan base eclipses the entire following of progressive American media companies such as The Huffington Post and Mother Jones.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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This eclipses the previous record for a film by a Black director, held by Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, which scooped two awards in 2014.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surpasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpasses. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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