surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt 
surmounted; surmounting; surmounts
1
: to prevail over : overcome
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of
4
obsolete
: to surpass in quality or attainment : excel
Did you know?
Our verb mount, meaning "ascend, get up onto", comes from the same Latin root as mountain, and we keep those images in mind when using surmount, since climbing up or over a mountain is a symbol of achievement. The word almost always refers to human effort, and almost always in a positive way; thus, we speak of surmounting difficulties, surmounting problems, surmounting hurdles, surmounting handicaps—you get the idea.
Examples of surmount in a Sentence
an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals
Recent Examples on the Web
However, the technological hurdles SpaceX must surmount to bring Starship to fruition are immense, noted Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut and SpaceX consultant who is a professor of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Probably would be tough to surmount the December high near $259 very soon, given the interplay of valuation (back above 30-times forward earnings) and modest growth profile.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
To surmount this problem, very specific protocols based on strict criteria are required to recognize an early supernova.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The problems to surmount were structural: deindustrialization, entrenched segregation, economic marginalization—conditions shaped by Jim Crow, but not undone by its eclipse.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surmount
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Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
Probably would be tough to surmount the December high near $259 very soon, given the interplay of valuation (back above 30-times forward earnings) and modest growth profile.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
To surmount this problem, very specific protocols based on strict criteria are required to recognize an early supernova.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2025
The problems to surmount were structural: deindustrialization, entrenched segregation, economic marginalization—conditions shaped by Jim Crow, but not undone by its eclipse.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for surmount
Cite this Entry
“Surmount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surmount. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt
1
: overcome sense 1
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of : crown
a weather vane surmounts the roof
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