Surpass means to go beyond or exceed something, to be greater or better than a previous level or than someone else. When a runner surpasses her personal record, she runs faster than she ever has before. When a company's sales surpass expectations, they sell more than anyone predicted.

The word carries a sense of achievement and progress. A student might surpass her classmates in math, meaning she performs at a higher level. A skyscraper surpasses all nearby buildings in height. An invention might surpass older technology by working faster or more efficiently.

Surpass suggests a clear, significant difference, not a small margin. If you get one more point than your friend on a test, you beat them, but if you score 98 while they score 75, you've surpassed them.

When you set a goal and then surpass it, you've done better than you intended. That's why surpassing feels like such a victory: you've moved past the limits you or others thought existed.