as in surpassed
to be greater, better, or stronger than
the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously
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Recent Examples of excelled
His reading and writing skills also excelled.
—
Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Boudreaux excelled in athletics from an early age, particularly basketball.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
The general manager excelled in the draft early in his Broncos tenure, landing future All-Pros Pat Surtain II and Quinn Meinerz, plus seventh-rounder Jonathon Cooper in 2021.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
The younger Levi had excelled in the classroom and on the tennis team at Loyola High School.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
The 31-year-old White, who excelled in nearly every area but shooting this season, is signed for another three years, including a player option for 2028-29.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Bogaerts has with the Padres generally excelled in the season’s latter months and been dreadful in the early months.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Van Lith has also excelled on the international stage in 3-on-3 basketball, helping Team USA to a gold medal at the 2023 3-on-3 World Cup and a bronze medal as a member of the 2024 3-on-3 Olympic team.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Most leaders excelled at focusing on goals.
—David Rock, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Boudreaux excelled in athletics from an early age, particularly basketball.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
The general manager excelled in the draft early in his Broncos tenure, landing future All-Pros Pat Surtain II and Quinn Meinerz, plus seventh-rounder Jonathon Cooper in 2021.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
The younger Levi had excelled in the classroom and on the tennis team at Loyola High School.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
The 31-year-old White, who excelled in nearly every area but shooting this season, is signed for another three years, including a player option for 2028-29.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026
Bogaerts has with the Padres generally excelled in the season’s latter months and been dreadful in the early months.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Van Lith has also excelled on the international stage in 3-on-3 basketball, helping Team USA to a gold medal at the 2023 3-on-3 World Cup and a bronze medal as a member of the 2024 3-on-3 Olympic team.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Most leaders excelled at focusing on goals.
—David Rock, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
-
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.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas' capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the first time.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Maldives National Defence Force The dive far exceeded what was planned for a scientific cruise focused on coral sampling at standard depths, Stella added.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
-
The little rotorcraft far exceeded mission managers' expectations, completing a total of 72 flights over the course of nearly three years.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Technology needs had also long been eclipsed; Kehillat Israel has been live-streaming its services since the pandemic.—
Rachel Kraus,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
-
Along came Shein, the Chinese retailer that’s eclipsed the likes of Zara and H&M to become the dominant global purveyor of fast fasion.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Earnings of 38 cents per share, excluding items, topped the FactSet consensus estimate of 31 cents per share.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
Sasha Miller contributed five goals, two assists and four draw controls as Beverly topped Andover, 15-12.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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