surmount
verb
sur·mount sər-ˈmau̇nt 
surmounted; surmounting; surmounts
transitive verb
1
: to prevail over : overcome
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of
4
obsolete : to surpass in quality or attainment : excel
surmountable
sər-ˈmau̇n-tə-bəl
adjective 
Did you know?
Our verb mount, meaning "ascend, get up onto", comes from the same Latin root as mountain, and we keep those images in mind when using surmount, since climbing up or over a mountain is a symbol of achievement. The word almost always refers to human effort, and almost always in a positive way; thus, we speak of surmounting difficulties, surmounting problems, surmounting hurdles, surmounting handicaps—you get the idea.
Synonyms
- beat
- best
- conquer
- defeat
- dispatch
- do down [British]
- get
- get around
- lick
- master
- overbear
- overcome
- overmatch
- prevail (over)
- skunk
- stop
- subdue
- take
- trim
- triumph (over)
- upend
- win (against)
- worst
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals
Recent Examples on the Web So far, the first-mover advantage for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna has been difficult for any other vaccine maker to surmount. 
Helen Branswell, STAT, 6 Sep. 2022 Understandably, in the event of an accident, if thousands of neighbors know they might be forcibly displaced against the risk of a CT scan, the number of plants that can surmount local opposition will be limited. Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 From the Columbine high school massacre in 1999 to this week’s wrenching tragedy in Uvalde, liberals have been fixated on finding an incremental reform that could surmount a Senate Republican filibuster. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 The titular castle was a massive set lorded over by Kitano, and in each episode from 88 to 142 people tried to surmount obstacles to slay the King in his lair. PCMAG, 22 June 2022 Coco bumped against it but was immediately able to surmount the obstacle. Emma Balter, Chron, 17 May 2022 Most people in the state will not have the money or be able to surmount the logistical hurdles to travel to Illinois, Hancock said, which could soon be the closest state where abortions are legally available. Anchorage Daily News, 5 May 2022 Most women in the state will not have the money or be able to surmount the logistical hurdles to travel to Illinois, Hancock said, which could soon be the closest state where abortions are legally available. Washington Post, 4 May 2022 Both viewed education as a means to launch careers and surmount humble origins in Honduras, where endemic poverty, crime and corruption have long choked off avenues of social advancement. Patrick J. Mcdonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2022 See More
Helen Branswell, STAT, 6 Sep. 2022 Understandably, in the event of an accident, if thousands of neighbors know they might be forcibly displaced against the risk of a CT scan, the number of plants that can surmount local opposition will be limited. Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 From the Columbine high school massacre in 1999 to this week’s wrenching tragedy in Uvalde, liberals have been fixated on finding an incremental reform that could surmount a Senate Republican filibuster. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 The titular castle was a massive set lorded over by Kitano, and in each episode from 88 to 142 people tried to surmount obstacles to slay the King in his lair. PCMAG, 22 June 2022 Coco bumped against it but was immediately able to surmount the obstacle. Emma Balter, Chron, 17 May 2022 Most people in the state will not have the money or be able to surmount the logistical hurdles to travel to Illinois, Hancock said, which could soon be the closest state where abortions are legally available. Anchorage Daily News, 5 May 2022 Most women in the state will not have the money or be able to surmount the logistical hurdles to travel to Illinois, Hancock said, which could soon be the closest state where abortions are legally available. Washington Post, 4 May 2022 Both viewed education as a means to launch careers and surmount humble origins in Honduras, where endemic poverty, crime and corruption have long choked off avenues of social advancement. Patrick J. Mcdonnell, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French surmunter, from sur- + munter to mount
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Kids Definition
surmount
verb
sur·mount sər-ˈmau̇nt
surmounted; surmounting
1
: overcome sense 1
He'll have to surmount difficulties to win.
2
: to get to the top of
3
: to be at the top of
A castle surmounts the cliff.
surmounts
verb
as in overcomes
to achieve a victory over an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- overcomes
- defeats
- masters
- conquers
- gets
- beats
- takes
- stops
- dispatches
- subdues
- succeeds
- bests
- upends
- licks
- gets around
- overbears
- trims
- worsts
- does down
- overwhelms
- surpasses
- skunks
- overmatches
- exceeds
- buries
- prevails (over)
- triumphs (over)
- finishes
- gets the better of
- sweeps
- excels
- wins (against)
- scores
- flattens
- tops
- knocks for a loop
- annihilates
- caps
- transcends
- slaughters
- crushes
- excels
- upsets
- blows out
- vanquishes
- whips
- clobbers
- bombs
- noses out
- blows away
- flourishes
- overpowers
- outstrips
- routs
- wallops
- outshines
- thrashes
- skins
- outdoes
- creams
- subjugates
- overtops
- outdistances
- trounces
- unseats
- pips
- breaks
- smokes
- eclipses
- overthrows
- waxes
- shellacs
- betters
- knocks over
- knocks off
- drubs
- snows under
- edges (out)
- outfights
- aces (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- falls
- loses (to)
- fails
- collapses
- folds
- flunks
- goes under
- goes down
- flops
- washes out
- gives up