as in exceeding
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 excelling
Only 15 games into his season due to a hamstring injury that bumped back his debut, Stowers provides adequate defense while excelling as a hitter.
—
Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
At Dr Triplett’s, Olise was excelling in every sport, a cross-country running champion for the London borough of Hillingdon, a district sports gold medallist in the 400m and a talented cricketer.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Throughout the school year, CBS Colorado honors high school students who are excelling the science, technology, engineering and math, STEM.
—Libby Smith, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Still, Coe was excelling as a songwriter.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
With Coker excelling in the slot and McMillan handling the X position, Legette and Brazzell could find themselves in a pretty notable camp competition, along with Metchie, Horn and Brycen Tremayne.
—Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
His kids started in the Mansfield school district and are excelling in the classroom.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Or without fellow championship holdovers like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard excelling in their supporting roles.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
But after excelling in soccer, those interests went unexplored.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
At Dr Triplett’s, Olise was excelling in every sport, a cross-country running champion for the London borough of Hillingdon, a district sports gold medallist in the 400m and a talented cricketer.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Throughout the school year, CBS Colorado honors high school students who are excelling the science, technology, engineering and math, STEM.
—Libby Smith, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Still, Coe was excelling as a songwriter.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
With Coker excelling in the slot and McMillan handling the X position, Legette and Brazzell could find themselves in a pretty notable camp competition, along with Metchie, Horn and Brycen Tremayne.
—Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
His kids started in the Mansfield school district and are excelling in the classroom.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
Or without fellow championship holdovers like Derrick White and Payton Pritchard excelling in their supporting roles.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
But after excelling in soccer, those interests went unexplored.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excelling
Verb
-
As the SpaceX deal surfaced, Cursor was also reported to be in negotiations to bring in a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation exceeding $50 billion.—
Rebecca Fannin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
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Tarmac delays exceeding four hours on international flights increased to 77, up from 64 in 2024.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Marner leads this postseason with 18 points, surpassing his previous career high of 14.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Spain clinches top spot for LGBTIA protections For the first time in a decade, Malta lost its spot atop the rankings, with Spain surpassing the archipelago under the leadership of leftist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The siblings would, of course, go on to become pop superstars in their own rights in the decades to come, eclipsing the fame of all their brothers and sisters.—
John Russell,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
Late in the season, Schaefer set NHL records for goals and points by an 18-year-old defenseman, eclipsing Phil Housley in both categories.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Severe to extreme drought conditions exist in some of the red-flag warning areas, where expected wind gusts topping 55 mph threaten to rapidly spread wildfires.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
-
The show was beautifully choreographed with each light display topping the previous one.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excelling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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