as in surpassing
to be greater, better, or stronger than
before he had reached his teens, the child prodigy had outstripped his music teacher's abilities
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Recent Examples of outstripping
In February, Nvidia's finance chief Colette Kress predicted that the shortage of gaming chips would last until the end of 2026 in an interview with Reuters, amid demand from the AI industry outstripping demand from console sales.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 8 Mar. 2026
Share appreciation is a sign that demand is outstripping supply at the current price level.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Primerica’s research reports that nearly seven out of 10 households (69%) say the costs of living are outstripping their income.
—Mark Davis, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
In 2025, a staggering 623,000 people claimed to be home health and personal assistants, making it by far the biggest occupation in the state, far outstripping retail salespersons, nurses or cashiers and waitresses.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
The nonpartisan office attributed that to state spending outstripping revenue.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The shortage market is outstripping sustainable energy’s capacity.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Dec. 2025
Another area in which China’s high-end capabilities are already outstripping those of the United States is in airborne long-range early warning and command system (AWACS) aircraft.
—Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
By some metrics the economy isn't doing badly — the White House has been pointing to falling gas prices and the fact that wages have been outstripping inflation.
—December 12, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 8 Mar. 2026
Share appreciation is a sign that demand is outstripping supply at the current price level.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Primerica’s research reports that nearly seven out of 10 households (69%) say the costs of living are outstripping their income.
—Mark Davis, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
In 2025, a staggering 623,000 people claimed to be home health and personal assistants, making it by far the biggest occupation in the state, far outstripping retail salespersons, nurses or cashiers and waitresses.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
The nonpartisan office attributed that to state spending outstripping revenue.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The shortage market is outstripping sustainable energy’s capacity.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Dec. 2025
Another area in which China’s high-end capabilities are already outstripping those of the United States is in airborne long-range early warning and command system (AWACS) aircraft.
—Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
By some metrics the economy isn't doing badly — the White House has been pointing to falling gas prices and the fact that wages have been outstripping inflation.
—December 12, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outstripping
Verb
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Three months after the Prescott deal, Juan Soto agreed to the biggest-ever contract in MLB, signing a 15-year deal worth a staggering $765m with the New York Mets, surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers announced in late 2023.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Her season total for points was the fifth-best in program history, surpassing Sophie Cunningham’s 2018-19 mark.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An earlier December lawsuit had been dismissed by the judge, who said the organization did not sufficiently prove the president was exceeding his powers.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The market capitalization of a company like Apple in December 2023 reached $3 trillion, exceeding the combined GDP of at least 140 countries.—
Sven van Mourik,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 45 in the Celtics’ Wednesday night victory is now the second-highest total, eclipsing a pair of 44 3-pointer games.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Congressional Budget Office projects debt held by the public will surge from 101% of GDP today to 120% of GDP by 2036, eclipsing the post–World War II record.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alexander-Walker, known more for his defense, is averaging more than 20 points per game after never topping 10 during his eight seasons as a bench player in New Orleans, Utah and Minnesota.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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After wrapping up his performance of chart-topping classics and ATL anthems with Sleepy Brown, Big Boi made his way from the stage to the Impossible Foods food truck not to eat, at least not right away, but to serve.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outstripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outstripping. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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