as in to exceed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excel
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound King also excels at holding runners on base and has not committed an error in 13 appearances.
—
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Moore was nominated for the award by members of Prepárate’s National Advisory Committee, which seeks to select recipients based on their efforts to remove barriers and create equal opportunity for students to excel in their coursework and secondary education.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
The Blackhawks threw their best bets into the deep end, and asking them to sink or swim makes for a difficult place to excel.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Both are family owned and excel at their respective cuisines.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for excel
Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Moore was nominated for the award by members of Prepárate’s National Advisory Committee, which seeks to select recipients based on their efforts to remove barriers and create equal opportunity for students to excel in their coursework and secondary education.
—Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
The Blackhawks threw their best bets into the deep end, and asking them to sink or swim makes for a difficult place to excel.
—Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Both are family owned and excel at their respective cuisines.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for excel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excel
Verb
-
Havana experienced a blackout that day that exceeded 20 hours, O Levy said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
-
Given his experience across different racing disciplines, does anything exceed the Indy 500?—
Maury Brown,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Centering on five boyhood friends reuniting after the death of their beloved basketball coach, director Dennis Dugan‘s film surpassed $270 million at the global box office.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Morton also went 3-2 as a starter in the playoffs with the Cowboys and 5-5 for his career, matching White (5-5) and bettering Romo (2-4), Prescott (2-5) and Meredith (1-3).—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
-
Her 13th place there is unlikely to be bettered at the real thing.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That would eclipse both the pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
This past Tuesday during a wild 18-15 victory against Dennis-Yarmouth, Hendricks sniped six goals, eclipsing 300 in her career.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Kay, meanwhile, rebounded after a first inning filled with traffic — two singles and hitting a batter with a pitch — to top his previous career high of 5 2/3 innings.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
In 2024, the median home price in California topped $800,000, which is double the national median.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excel. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
