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surpass

/sərˈpæs/

/səˈpɑs/

Other forms: surpassed; surpassing; surpasses

To surpass means to outdo someone or something, to go beyond what was expected. If you do better than you think you will, you will surpass your own expectations.

Some words seem to exist just to give an extra oomph to your speech, and surpass is one of these. While you could just say passed or even outdid" saying surpass seems to indicate that a person (or some other thing that performs, like a company) has really gone beyond anything you anticipated. People tend to use this word a lot before the words expectations and predictions among others, because of course surpassing is all about "surpassing something."

Definitions of surpass
  1. verb
    be or do something to a greater degree
    “her performance surpasses that of any other student I know”
    synonyms: exceed, outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount
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    types:
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    beat, circumvent, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach
    beat through cleverness and wit
    outgrow
    grow faster than
    outcry, outshout
    shout louder than
    outroar
    roar louder than
    outsail
    sail faster or better than
    outdraw
    draw a gun faster, or best someone in a gunfight
    outsell
    sell more than others
    outsell
    be sold more often than other, similar products
    outpace
    surpass in speed
    better, break
    surpass in excellence
    outshine
    attract more attention and praise than others
    outrange
    have a greater range than (another gun)
    outweigh
    be heavier than
    outbrave
    be braver than
    out-herod
    surpass someone in cruelty or evil
    outfox
    outdo someone in trickery
    shame
    surpass or beat by a wide margin
    outmarch
    march longer distances and for a longer time than
    outwear
    last longer than others
    upstage
    steal the show, draw attention to oneself away from someone else
    type of:
    beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish
    come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
  2. verb
    be greater in scope or size than some standard
    synonyms: exceed, transcend
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    types:
    overgrow
    grow too large
  3. verb
    distinguish oneself
    synonyms: excel, stand out
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    types:
    exceed, go past, overstep, pass, top, transcend
    be superior or better than some standard
    outrank, rank
    take precedence or surpass others in rank
    excel at, shine at
    be good at
  4. verb
    move past
    “One line of soldiers surpassed the other”
    synonyms: go by, go past, pass, pass by, travel by
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    types:
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    skirt
    pass around or about; move along the border
    run by
    pass by while running
    fly by
    pass by while flying
    fly by, whisk by, zip by
    move by very quickly
    type of:
    go, locomote, move, travel
    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
Pronunciation
US

/sərˈpæs/

UK

/səˈpɑs/

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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘surpass'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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