as in extraordinary
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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
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
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Recent Examples of surpassing
Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Fort Collins has broken its March record *2 days in a row*, now surpassing its 2012 record (81F) by 6 degrees.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Activist campaigns hit an all-time high of 255 last year, surpassing the 2018 record, according to Barclays.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Johnson then promptly loaded up with three early 3-pointers, surpassing his previous high for 3-pointers in a game.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
This will lead to a rapid warming trend over the coming days with temperatures surpassing record levels by the weekend.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Thursday should reach 89 degrees, the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office said, before surpassing 90 degrees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, local productions grossed a cumulative $30M (TWD971M) in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing box office for Taiwanese films for the whole of 2025, and marking the highest first quarter receipts for local films on record.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
Milan Cortina marked the biggest Winter Paralympics ever with a total of 611 Para athletes from 55 nations, surpassing the previous record of 564 Para athletes from 48 countries in 2018.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
The eight steals is the most by a Notre Dame player in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous mark of seven by Skylar Diggins and Hidalgo’s coach, Niele Ivey.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Fort Collins has broken its March record *2 days in a row*, now surpassing its 2012 record (81F) by 6 degrees.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Activist campaigns hit an all-time high of 255 last year, surpassing the 2018 record, according to Barclays.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026
Johnson then promptly loaded up with three early 3-pointers, surpassing his previous high for 3-pointers in a game.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
This will lead to a rapid warming trend over the coming days with temperatures surpassing record levels by the weekend.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Thursday should reach 89 degrees, the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office said, before surpassing 90 degrees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, local productions grossed a cumulative $30M (TWD971M) in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing box office for Taiwanese films for the whole of 2025, and marking the highest first quarter receipts for local films on record.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
Milan Cortina marked the biggest Winter Paralympics ever with a total of 611 Para athletes from 55 nations, surpassing the previous record of 564 Para athletes from 48 countries in 2018.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpassing
Adjective
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Basketball awards time During a season in which the individual talent for boys and girls basketball was extraordinary, earning all-star recognition became quite an achievement.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
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Late Shift follows a single staff member, named Floria and played by the extraordinary German actor Leonie Benesch, in a cancer ward for a tightly wound 90 minutes.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The takeover will continue until the district meets criteria set by the Texas Education Agency, which include exceeding the state and/or regional average for meeting-grade-level proficiency in reading and math, and ensuring the district has no schools unacceptable ratings for multiple years.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
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Fletcher said Sion Power’s lithium-metal cells are engineered to deliver energy densities exceeding 500 watt-hour per kilogram, compared with approximately 300-350 Wh/kg for today’s most advanced lithium-ion technology.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mojtaba Khamenei replaced his father, Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader after the ayatollah was killed at the start of the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Airstrikes have also killed its supreme leader, the head of its Supreme National Security Council and a raft of other top-ranking military and political leaders.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Most Popular Show More Photos Denver broke the daily record high temperature for the second day running on Friday, eclipsing the bar set 119 years ago.—
Denver Post,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
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The 51-point win was the largest margin of victory in Big Ten tournament history, eclipsing the 33-point mark Iowa set during its 2023 win over Ohio State.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Leo Carlsson, center, A- Carlsson had a superlative start to the season, looking every bit the equal of his most prominent peers like Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini in the first two months of 2025-26.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
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Seafood and cocktails with lavender, thyme, and other local herbs seduce guests in the superlative beach club on A-lister Plage de Pampelonne.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This warmer weather refresh of chicken and biscuits shakes up both the filling and topping for a lighter and brighter take on the classic.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Hilton, a Republican contender who has been topping recent polls, pledged a $71 basic vehicle registration fee for every driver in California.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The loudest moment of the night came at the 12-minute mark when Purdue’s bench and its huge contingent of yellow and black clad fans erupted as senior point guard Braden Smith made history with his 1,077th career assist, breaking the 33-year-old NCAA record set in 1993 by Duke’s Bobby Hurley.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Mar. 2026
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March 31 will be a huge day for him.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Iranian strikes in Israel came after Tehran's main nuclear enrichment site at Natanz was hit earlier in the day.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Manchester City Liverpool fans have mostly sided with their main title rival of the past decade, with over 70 per cent wanting City to win the league.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Surpassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpassing. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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