excel
verb (used without object)
to surpass others or be superior in some respect or area; do extremely well.
had excelled
-
past perfectof excel.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The seven attendees, who ranged from their mid 30s to their late 50s, had excelled in lucrative fields like finance, consulting, healthcare and tech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
A lot of them had excelled in school: We talked to a boy that had just won a spelling bee, for example.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2026
At Tonbridge School, Forsyth had excelled in foreign languages but little else.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2025
He came from Quebec, the cradle of standout goalies, and he had excelled in the high-scoring Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2023
Brother Alf remarked that Friar Hugo had excelled himself, as course after course was brought to the table.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
