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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in extraordinary
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surpassing
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
The movie Wicked has officially become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in box office history, surpassing the movie musical Mamma Mia.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Their 3-0 win in the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca made Ancelotti the most successful manager in Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the legendary Miguel Munoz.
—Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The Bitcoin ETFs marked a groundbreaking moment, becoming the most successful ETF launches in history, collectively surpassing $100 billion in assets under management within their first year.
—Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Imagine how Clarke might view today’s systems, which learn, self-correct and edge closer to autonomy—surpassing what was once only speculative fiction.
—Evan Kaplan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
The first week of December alone reported 91 outbreaks, far surpassing the previous high of 65 for that timeframe.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
The Blues are surpassing pre-season predictions.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau sacked Rodgers for this historic occasion time in his career, surpassing Brady for the most sacks allowed by a quarterback in official NFL records.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The 2024 edition marks the highest tally of all time, greatly surpassing Barack Obama’s previous record of 95,894 pages.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
The movie Wicked has officially become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in box office history, surpassing the movie musical Mamma Mia.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Their 3-0 win in the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca made Ancelotti the most successful manager in Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the legendary Miguel Munoz.
—Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The Bitcoin ETFs marked a groundbreaking moment, becoming the most successful ETF launches in history, collectively surpassing $100 billion in assets under management within their first year.
—Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Imagine how Clarke might view today’s systems, which learn, self-correct and edge closer to autonomy—surpassing what was once only speculative fiction.
—Evan Kaplan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
The first week of December alone reported 91 outbreaks, far surpassing the previous high of 65 for that timeframe.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
The Blues are surpassing pre-season predictions.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau sacked Rodgers for this historic occasion time in his career, surpassing Brady for the most sacks allowed by a quarterback in official NFL records.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpassing
Verb
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Developing a liquid metal layer The extreme conditions within a fusion reactor, where super-heated plasma reaches temperatures exceeding those of the sun, pose a significant challenge to material science.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2025
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Winston has continued to provide value in locker rooms despite not exceeding the big expectations that followed the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner to the NFL during his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series Cristin Milioti in The Penguin Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Deirdre O’Connell in The Penguin Cristin is just so extraordinary, and she’s always been extraordinary.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
These bargain hunters will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to find a deal.—
Linnea Geiss,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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But it's been about nine years since more than 30,000 backers flocked to the Kickstarter campaign—raising more than $1 million and eclipsing Polygons' $10,000 goal.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
14 Mar. 2025
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Shares are down nearly 12% in 2025, eclipsing the S & P 500′s 5% pullback during that time.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The barrage led Israel’s defense minister to overtly threaten Iran’s supreme leader. Israel, meanwhile, struck Iran’s heavy water reactor, part of the country’s nuclear program, which its government insists is meant for peaceful purposes only.—
Elena Becatoros,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2025
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Now, with Israel taking out some of his closest aides and senior security figures, as well as significantly weakening its militant Islamic allies across the region, the supreme leader is beginning to look increasingly isolated.—
Ruth Marks Eglash,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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What’s different about durian is the range of texture and fermentation that combines to achieve a superlative balance.—
Tom Downey,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
-
Remarkably, 1985 isn’t the only superlative draft class celebrating a significant anniversary this year.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Rich jewel tones and hues like indigo and terracotta can also make a huge impact, adding depth and contrast to your space.—
Kendall Bettle,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2025
-
Cloth Lampshades As with any space, lighting, especially lamps, can make a huge impact.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The three main changes House Republicans want to make are to ensure immigrants who are in the United States without legal authorization can’t enroll; create work requirements to be on the program; and prevent federal funding from being used for gender transition care.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2025
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Facing a harbor filled with sailboats, Avalon is the island's main tourist hub, and where most tourists will stay, from hotels such as the century-old Hotel Atwater to Airbnbs.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The 6-foot-5, 221-pounder not only comes with ideal size and above-average athleticism but also terrific arm talent.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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His terrific performance was a similar problem for the Pacers.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surpassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpassing. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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