excel

verb

ex·​cel ik-ˈsel How to pronounce excel (audio)
excelled; excelling
Synonyms of excel

transitive verb

: to be superior to : surpass in accomplishment or achievement

intransitive verb

: to be distinguishable by superiority : surpass others
excel in sports
excelled at lipreading

Synonyms of excel

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exceed, surpass, transcend, excel, outdo, outstrip mean to go or be beyond a stated or implied limit, measure, or degree.

exceed implies going beyond a limit set by authority or established by custom or by prior achievement.

exceed the speed limit

surpass suggests superiority in quality, merit, or skill.

the book surpassed our expectations

transcend implies a rising or extending notably above or beyond ordinary limits.

transcended the values of their culture

excel implies preeminence in achievement or quality and may suggest superiority to all others.

excels in mathematics

outdo applies to a bettering or exceeding what has been done before.

outdid herself this time

outstrip suggests surpassing in a race or competition.

outstripped other firms in sales

Examples of excel in a Sentence

She excels everyone else in sports. the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Infrastructure inspection is exactly the kind of boring but highly practical application that modern airships excel at, Grossman says. — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026 Rather than test him on that — Goldfarb excels as a storyteller — WWD asked for just one to illustrate the company’s approach. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 Defensive midfield or ‘pivot’, the position that Guijarro excels in, is not quite so prominent in the broader consciousness, and therefore inevitably some will value it higher than others. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026 What the Democratic strategists and donors who have interacted with Ossoff behind the scenes worry about is whether the candidate can excel at the off-the-cuff retail politics traditionally required to mount a bid for the presidency. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excel

Word History

Etymology

Middle English excellen, from Latin excellere, from ex- + -cellere to rise, project; akin to Latin collis hill — more at hill

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of excel was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing excel

Rhymes for excel

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Browse Nearby Words

exceedingly
excel
excellence
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Cite this Entry

“Excel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excel. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

excel

verb
ex·​cel ik-ˈsel How to pronounce excel (audio)
excelled; excelling
: to do or be better than others : surpass
a student who excels in sports
excels her brother at tennis
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