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
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
An insufficient bond is defined as one where an importer’s liability surpasses 100 percent of their bond capacity.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Feb. 2026
Allocate additional resources to achieve a level of proficiency that surpasses that of any competitor.
—Russ Bredholt Jr, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
That marks a record since the party's foundation in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
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
An insufficient bond is defined as one where an importer’s liability surpasses 100 percent of their bond capacity.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 17 Feb. 2026
Allocate additional resources to achieve a level of proficiency that surpasses that of any competitor.
—Russ Bredholt Jr, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2026
That marks a record since the party's foundation in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpasses
Verb
-
This altitude exceeds the cruising height of most airplanes, which is why pilots often choose to navigate around thunderstorms to avoid a bumpy ride.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 2026
-
According to the assessment findings, pollution from the generators likely exceeds legal limits, which would require a special permit and air-quality testing.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Noem, among other alleged excesses, attempted to fire a Coast Guard pilot who forgot to bring her blanket aboard a DHS flight, the Journal reported, and has complained to staff that Homan eclipses her in television appearances.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surpasses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpasses. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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