as in surpasses
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 excels
Apple says the Fusion camera excels in low light.
—
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Where Doma excels is both in its traditional and innovative pastas.
—Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Microsoft Teams stands out for its robust AI and video conferencing features, while Slack excels with its more enjoyable and fluid approach to messaging.
—John Brandon, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh excels at preparation, too.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
With English Subtitles William Defoe excels as the manager of a luxury hotel who decides to sabotage the plans of the Argentine developer who has acquired it.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Shuttling between past and present, Simpson traces her mother’s hardscrabble journey as the daughter of North Carolina sharecroppers who excels in school and becomes a teacher, then a mother, then a single mother of two.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Like his father, the younger Tittle excels in track.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Rookie phenom Roman Anthony leads a capable offense while Boston excels with a trio of talented starting pitchers in Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito.
—Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Where Doma excels is both in its traditional and innovative pastas.
—Liza B. Zimmerman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Microsoft Teams stands out for its robust AI and video conferencing features, while Slack excels with its more enjoyable and fluid approach to messaging.
—John Brandon, PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
Current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh excels at preparation, too.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
With English Subtitles William Defoe excels as the manager of a luxury hotel who decides to sabotage the plans of the Argentine developer who has acquired it.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Shuttling between past and present, Simpson traces her mother’s hardscrabble journey as the daughter of North Carolina sharecroppers who excels in school and becomes a teacher, then a mother, then a single mother of two.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Like his father, the younger Tittle excels in track.
—Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Rookie phenom Roman Anthony leads a capable offense while Boston excels with a trio of talented starting pitchers in Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito.
—Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excels
Verb
-
Yet Team Cherry, along with dozens of coders and others, working quietly and deliberately, has crafted something that rivals (and often surpasses) the work of those massive studios.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
-
That surpasses the size of a July attack by Moscow that was previously the largest of the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.—
Svitlana Vlasova,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While individual leaves can reach 18 inches long, the plant itself rarely exceeds 8 inches in height.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
-
That footprint far exceeds the longtime 39% limit on ownership of stations, which had been kept in place by both Republican and Democratic administrations over the past three decades.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The set conquers one tally outright and nearly tops several others, giving the rock musicians another major win in a career already full of them.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Senior quarterback Emmett Dowling completes 25 of 43 passes for 382 yards and four TDs and hits Quentin Burrell for the winning 2-point conversion pass as Mount Carmel tops Moeller 43-42 in Ohio.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excels. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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