1
as in exceeds
to be greater, better, or stronger than
she always tried to surpass her older brother at anything he did
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
This show, which still prompts belly laughs from my daughter and me even after countless rewatches, meets and surpasses my mother’s bar.
—
Jean Garnett, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
The milestone, reached during an active global security period, surpasses the previous record set in 2020 and highlights the growing operational demands placed on modern naval forces.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
And every film nerd knows that the production’s depravity and delirium almost surpasses the film’s—Apocalypse Now’s Wikipedia page is as wild as the film itself.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
In areas like health care access, education affordability and public infrastructure, Taiwan rivals or surpasses many G7 nations.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
Omid, whose English surpasses Marjan’s own level, has excited such hopes, and the touchingly Chekhovian quasi-romance between them adds a gentle note of amorous wistfulness.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The math — earning back money that equals or surpasses the card's annual cost — often works out.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Senate Bill 516 would set the rate at 5 cents if the bottle redemption rate — the number of containers returned divided by the number sold — of the state, or any distributor, surpasses 100% in 2026.
—Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
This functionality far surpasses the limits of Bluetooth multipoint.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Jean Garnett, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
The milestone, reached during an active global security period, surpasses the previous record set in 2020 and highlights the growing operational demands placed on modern naval forces.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026
And every film nerd knows that the production’s depravity and delirium almost surpasses the film’s—Apocalypse Now’s Wikipedia page is as wild as the film itself.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
In areas like health care access, education affordability and public infrastructure, Taiwan rivals or surpasses many G7 nations.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
Omid, whose English surpasses Marjan’s own level, has excited such hopes, and the touchingly Chekhovian quasi-romance between them adds a gentle note of amorous wistfulness.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The math — earning back money that equals or surpasses the card's annual cost — often works out.
—Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Senate Bill 516 would set the rate at 5 cents if the bottle redemption rate — the number of containers returned divided by the number sold — of the state, or any distributor, surpasses 100% in 2026.
—Angela Eichhorst, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
This functionality far surpasses the limits of Bluetooth multipoint.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpasses
Verb
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People who didn't opt for electronic payment and whose settlement amount exceeds $5 will receive a check in the mail, according to the settlement website.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Authorities have not yet officially disproven, for instance, some link between these three deaths, but any conceivable connection or sense of a coordinated series of assassinations quickly exceeds imaginative powers.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The moon eclipses the sun in a view captured by the Artemis II crew on Monday.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
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If China finally eclipses the United States as the world’s preeminent scientific superpower, there won’t be an official announcement.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surpasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpasses. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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