exceed

verb

ex·​ceed ik-ˈsēd 

exceeded; exceeding; exceeds

transitive verb

1

: to be greater than or superior to

2

: to go beyond a limit set by

exceeded his authority

3

: to extend outside of

The river will exceed its banks by morning.

intransitive verb

1

: predominate

2

obsolete : overdo

Synonyms of exceed

• surpass

Choose the Right Synonym for exceed

exceed, surpass, transcend, excel, outdo, outstrip mean to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree.

exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

Examples of exceed in a Sentence

The cost must not exceed 10 dollars.

The cost exceeded our estimate.

The demand for new housing has already exceeded the supply.

He's trying to match or exceed last year's sales.

Recent Examples on the Web

Forecasters warned that snow could fall at rates exceeding one inch per hour in some locations, creating hazardous conditions for both air and ground travel. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025

In this study, that frequency exceeded all loss rates in the setup, which the team identified as clear evidence of a strong coupling regime. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Nov. 2025

Officials watched the forecast closely, since city law prohibits Macy's from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph. —Arkansas Online, 28 Nov. 2025

In a survey of more than 900 institutional investor clients on Goldman Sachs’ Marquee platform, 36% of respondents — the largest cohort — expect gold to maintain its momentum and exceed $5,000 per troy ounce by the end of next year. —Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English exceden, from Middle French exceder, from Latin excedere, from ex- + cedere to go

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Rhymes for exceed

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• flaxseed
• impede
• indeed

Kids Definition

exceed

verb

ex·​ceed ik-ˈsēd 

1

: to be greater than

the cost must not exceed ten dollars

2

: to go or be beyond the limit