1
as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
she always tried to surpass her older brother at anything he did
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in transcending
to go beyond the limit of
the sales of the band's newest CD have surpassed the combined sales of its last two albums
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in extraordinary
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surpassing
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
The movie Wicked has officially become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in box office history, surpassing the movie musical Mamma Mia.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Their 3-0 win in the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca made Ancelotti the most successful manager in Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the legendary Miguel Munoz.
—Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The Bitcoin ETFs marked a groundbreaking moment, becoming the most successful ETF launches in history, collectively surpassing $100 billion in assets under management within their first year.
—Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Imagine how Clarke might view today’s systems, which learn, self-correct and edge closer to autonomy—surpassing what was once only speculative fiction.
—Evan Kaplan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
The first week of December alone reported 91 outbreaks, far surpassing the previous high of 65 for that timeframe.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
The Blues are surpassing pre-season predictions.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau sacked Rodgers for this historic occasion time in his career, surpassing Brady for the most sacks allowed by a quarterback in official NFL records.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The 2024 edition marks the highest tally of all time, greatly surpassing Barack Obama’s previous record of 95,894 pages.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
The movie Wicked has officially become the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation in box office history, surpassing the movie musical Mamma Mia.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Their 3-0 win in the Intercontinental Cup final against Mexican side Pachuca made Ancelotti the most successful manager in Madrid’s history with 15 titles, surpassing the legendary Miguel Munoz.
—Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The Bitcoin ETFs marked a groundbreaking moment, becoming the most successful ETF launches in history, collectively surpassing $100 billion in assets under management within their first year.
—Leeor Shimron, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Imagine how Clarke might view today’s systems, which learn, self-correct and edge closer to autonomy—surpassing what was once only speculative fiction.
—Evan Kaplan, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
The first week of December alone reported 91 outbreaks, far surpassing the previous high of 65 for that timeframe.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
The Blues are surpassing pre-season predictions.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Bills defensive end Gregory Rousseau sacked Rodgers for this historic occasion time in his career, surpassing Brady for the most sacks allowed by a quarterback in official NFL records.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surpassing
Verb
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Developing a liquid metal layer The extreme conditions within a fusion reactor, where super-heated plasma reaches temperatures exceeding those of the sun, pose a significant challenge to material science.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2025
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Winston has continued to provide value in locker rooms despite not exceeding the big expectations that followed the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner to the NFL during his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Under his leadership, Apple launched the Watch, expanded into the health sector, and maintained extraordinary logistical consistency despite global disruptions.—
Nate Bennett,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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An extraordinary group of leaders and thinkers will join us, from DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan to Supertone CEO Kyogu Lee to Singapore digital minister Josephine Teo.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
Verb
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But it's been about nine years since more than 30,000 backers flocked to the Kickstarter campaign—raising more than $1 million and eclipsing Polygons' $10,000 goal.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
14 Mar. 2025
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Shares are down nearly 12% in 2025, eclipsing the S & P 500′s 5% pullback during that time.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This picture shows a billboard bearing the portrait of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a quote reads in Persian 'Sing Oh Iran' at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on July, 9, 2025.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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There has only been one previous time when Iran went through a process of naming a new supreme leader — in 1989, when Khamenei was chosen to succeed Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the towering figurehead behind the 1979 Islamic revolution.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The top cities in the world, according to Travel + Leisure readers, are those that truly have it all—phenomenal attractions, superlative hotels, electric dining scenes, and world-class vibes that simply don’t quit.—
Paul Brady,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
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What’s different about durian is the range of texture and fermentation that combines to achieve a superlative balance.—
Tom Downey,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Compared to a lot of other activities, games have this huge social mould.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Having an offensive mind as creative as Johnson will be a huge upgrade for Williams and the Bears.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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The Michigan woman’s family told PEOPLE that one particular food — the potato — is a main contributing factor to her living a long life.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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Meander along the Big Bend Scenic Byway and stop along main streets and pull-offs that look interesting.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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Smartphone Deals An ultra-bright screen, terrific build quality, and powerful AI tools made the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL a winner in our book, and our expert gave it an excellent rating in our review.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Surpassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surpassing. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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