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
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 excelled
Like his father, Austin excelled as a standout athlete, playing safety for the University of Notre Dame.
—
Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Miami’s supposed to have better pass rushing and improved safety play this season, but the improvements made to the defense hasn’t helped Weaver’s unit be good at what the Dolphins defense excelled at last season, which was playing situational ball.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Premier League winners Wes Brown, Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson and Lee Dixon are other Mancs who have excelled.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the inclusion of casting director Cassandra Kulukundis at the Q&A signals attention to the new casting Oscar category, where Anderson’s ensemble work has always excelled.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 10 Sep. 2025
The play was high level, and both quarterbacks largely excelled.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Greengrass has always excelled at turning real-life horrors into heart-stopping movies, but this particular vision of Hell on Earth is on another level.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Considering everything, López excelled for the Minnesota Twins in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
Miami’s supposed to have better pass rushing and improved safety play this season, but the improvements made to the defense hasn’t helped Weaver’s unit be good at what the Dolphins defense excelled at last season, which was playing situational ball.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Premier League winners Wes Brown, Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson and Lee Dixon are other Mancs who have excelled.
—Andy Mitten, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the inclusion of casting director Cassandra Kulukundis at the Q&A signals attention to the new casting Oscar category, where Anderson’s ensemble work has always excelled.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from dermatologists.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 10 Sep. 2025
The play was high level, and both quarterbacks largely excelled.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Greengrass has always excelled at turning real-life horrors into heart-stopping movies, but this particular vision of Hell on Earth is on another level.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Considering everything, López excelled for the Minnesota Twins in a 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
—David Brown, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelled
Verb
-
Most preseason projections had Miami in the low 60s for wins, but with 13 games still remaining, the Marlins have already surpassed last year’s total by eight.—
Isaac Azout,
Miami Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
-
During their 27-18 victory over the Commanders at Lambeau Field, however, the Packers surpassed Parsons’ best-case scenario.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The effort this year far exceeded the $300,000 goal, with about $450,000 raised – another record for the foundation created after Carlson died during an ocean rescue in 2014.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In the first quarter of the year, the price of Miami's luxury condos exceeded $1,000 per square foot for the first time in history.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
By the 1980s, TV had eclipsed print as the dominant medium and reshaped how Americans consumed the news.—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
In cities that function as growth machines, where economic growth is prized above all else, the needs of the poor and middle class are eclipsed by the desire to inflate the value of land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The group has topped the charts three times in the past with debut LP Suede (1993), Coming Up (1996) and Head Music (1999).—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
-
California, Texas, New York, and Florida topped the list, WalletHub said.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excelled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelled. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share