rise above

verb

rose above; risen above; rising above; rises above
1
: to not allow oneself to be hurt or controlled by (something bad or harmful)
It's time to rise above petty bickering/politics.
2
: to be or become better than (something)
The quality of the food never rises above average.

Examples of rise above in a Sentence

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.
With the national debt having just risen above £3 trillion, taking it uncomfortably close to the size of its GDP, the government is in no position for largesse. — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 The Sierra Buttes rise above the North Yuba River canyon, with a fire lookout near the top of the approximately 8,600-foot mountain, according to the Pacific Crest Trail Association. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 Three huge terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari to the west. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 But Dummy has always striven to rise above their inspirations. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rise above

Rhymes for rise above

See All Rhymes for rise above

Browse Nearby Words

rise
rise above
rise again
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rise above.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rise%20above. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All