almost surpassed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "almost surpassed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something nearly exceeded or outperformed something else, but did not quite achieve it. Example: "The new model almost surpassed the previous version in terms of sales, but it fell just short."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Ad pages for The Industry Standard, the weekly from IDG, are up almost 500percentt against last year and have almost surpassed those of People magazine.

The New York Times

Meanwhile, Servers & Tools almost surpassed the Windows Division this past quarter.

TechCrunch

Bopara, who made 28 from 38 balls, was caught on the mid-wicket boundary but Buttler almost surpassed that in six deliveries from seamer Kyle Mills, dispatching a six and four fours.

BBC

They almost surpassed his season totals for each receiving category.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The set sold 26,000 copies in its first week, almost surpassing the 32,000 units that his previous record sold in its entire run.

The Guardian - Music

Part of the problem, though, is that he almost surpasses Favre in his ability to provoke commentators to excess — causing them to regularly compare him, as Joe Scarborough quite rightly pointed out, to a "Christ-like figure".

The New Yorker

I watched every Airport movie with Airport 77 (staring my hero Jimmy Stewart) almost surpassing my love for the first movie.

Huffington Post

1– 3 According to recent data, the projected prevalence of AF in 2050 will increase to 7.56 million in the United States and will almost surpass 25 million by 2045 in China.

Clinical interventions in aging

Earned income, largely from public sector contracts has been the big growth area, to almost surpass income from mainstream fundraising.

The Guardian

In 2005, it almost certainly surpassed France, and probably squeaked past Britain too.

The Economist

His father, even at the height of his popularity during the gulf war, almost never surpassed 50percentt for his handling of the economy.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "almost surpassed" when you want to convey that something came very close to exceeding a certain level or achievement, but didn't quite make it. It's useful for adding nuance, emphasizing the narrow margin.

Common error

Avoid using "almost surpassed" when the thing in question significantly underperformed. This phrase is effective when there's a real sense of near success, not a distant attempt.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "almost surpassed" functions as a modifier, indicating a near achievement. As Ludwig AI confirms, this suggests that something nearly reached a higher level but ultimately did not exceed it. Examples show it modifying revenue, sales, and performance metrics.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

12%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Academia

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "almost surpassed" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a near-exceedance of a specific level or target. According to Ludwig AI, it is correct and usable in written English. While relatively uncommon, the phrase appears across diverse contexts, including news, science, and business. Key to using it effectively is the implication of a narrow miss. The phrase isn't suitable if the actual outcome was significantly below expectations. Alternatives include "nearly exceeded" or "came close to exceeding". It is more likely to be found in "News & Media" contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

nearly exceeded

Replaces "almost surpassed" with a synonym for "almost" and "surpassed", maintaining the same meaning.

almost outstripped

Substitutes "surpassed" with "outstripped", implying a near-complete outdoing.

came close to exceeding

Uses a more descriptive phrase to convey the idea of nearly surpassing, focusing on proximity to exceeding.

fell just short of exceeding

Emphasizes the failure to surpass, highlighting how close it came.

narrowly missed surpassing

Highlights the narrow margin by which something failed to surpass another.

virtually exceeded

Implies a very high degree of closeness to surpassing, almost to the point of doing so.

was on the verge of surpassing

Suggests that something was about to surpass, indicating an imminent action.

threatened to surpass

Indicates a potential future surpassing, emphasizing the threat or likelihood.

came within inches of surpassing

Uses a vivid image to describe the narrowness of the failure to surpass.

approached surpassing

Focuses on the act of approaching a surpassing point, without actually achieving it.

FAQs

How can I use "almost surpassed" in a sentence?

Use "almost surpassed" to describe a situation where something nearly exceeded expectations or a specific target, for example: "The company's profits "almost surpassed" last year's record, but fell slightly short".

What are some alternatives to "almost surpassed"?

You can use alternatives like "nearly exceeded", "came close to exceeding", or "fell just short of" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "almost surpassed" or should I use another phrase?

The phrase "almost surpassed" is grammatically correct and commonly used. Its suitability depends on the specific context you are describing.

What's the difference between "almost surpassed" and "exceeded"?

"Almost surpassed" indicates that something did not quite reach or outperform a certain level, while "exceeded" means it successfully surpassed it.