excels

verb

present tense third-person singular of excel
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excels Without that piece of information, adults and kids alike may not understand why a child who excels academically struggles with seemingly simpler tasks. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Flowers decamped to Nashville, hired producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, whose work excels at mimicking the textures of older records, and recruited a band full of session-pro ringers. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 Aug. 2026 Robinson and Uche are the top two players in this unit, but Miami needs to add an edge who excels at setting the edge, which is why Ojabo and Ferrell likely survive the first round of cuts. — Omar Kelly august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 The result is a system that excels once patients are sick, but too often intervenes late — after costs have mounted and options have narrowed. — Pooja Kumar, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 According to our scoring methodology, Sallie Mae excels has some of the lowest starting interest rates, while SoFi excels at customer service. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 The car excels in ride comfort and agility, with a particularly effective Intelligent Recuperation system for city driving. — Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Park excels at articulating the importance and immediacy of youth, when bonds carry an extra intensity that makes breaking them feel bigger than life. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026 Figures such as Assemblyman Carl DeMaio from San Diego County, an aggressive fiscal hawk who excels at dominating conservative media and raising grassroots funds, command a fiercely loyal base. — Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excels
  1. surpasses
  2. exceeds
  3. tops
  4. eclipses
Verb
  • But first, welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where Sophie Cunningham stuns in a backless halter top and then surpasses Caitlin Clark in social media followers.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Wells Fargo reported the pipeline of weight-loss medications now surpasses cancer drugs as the most valuable category of products on the horizon.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of surpasses
Verb
  • The number of people confirmed killed after propulsive landslides tore through the Nepal-China border on Wednesday now exceeds 900.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The goal is to collect a total net credit that at least matches or exceeds the width of the call spread such that even an extraordinary upside move would not result in a loss.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of exceeds
Verb
  • Burns said a panel of judges selected by the library reads each entry and then comes to a consensus on which piece tops the list, as well as what finished second and third.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Gibson tops the area’s Top 100 players to watch list after rushing for 2,263 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tops
Verb
  • The toll eclipses that of the country's 2018-2020 outbreak when 2,299 deaths out of 3,481 cases were recorded.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The toll eclipses that of the country’s 2018-2020 outbreak when 2,299 deaths out of 3,481 cases were recorded.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of eclipses

Browse Nearby Words

excelling
excels
except
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Cite this Entry

“Excels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excels. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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