merely surpassing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "merely surpassing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is only exceeding a certain standard or expectation without implying any significant achievement beyond that. Example: "The results were merely surpassing the previous year's figures, not a groundbreaking improvement."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Sony would like for Underworld: Awakenings to surpass the $62 million gross of Underworld: Evolution, but merely surpassing that film's $111 million worldwide take won't justify the $70 million budget this time around.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Buddhist texts state that the Buddha not merely surpassed all yogis in knowledge of previous existences but, in fact, had conquered time.

Encyclopedia Britannica

With familiar repertory, expectations need to be not only manipulated but surpassed for the performance to graduate from the merely enjoyable to the profoundly affecting.

The New York Times

Blethyn, happily, not only surpasses her Broadway predecessor in the part (New York stage veteran Anne Pitoniak) but legitimises a play that can seem merely a prolonged, and dubious, conceit.

The Guardian

And not just surpassed.

Vice

They satisfy fundamental human desires — not merely to belong but to surpass, to be special, to have power, to be loved — and they do so at a louder volume than does ordinary life.

The New York Times - Books

Surpassing 0.05 merely frees the wider academic community to demand what should have been done voluntarily.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

To date, our efforts to aid Iraqis in all these areas have failed, but I hope that with guidance from our new Congressional leadership, we can change the course and surpass a merely tolerable outcome in Iraq.

The New York Times

Even so, the result demands a patient viewing, and maybe more than one; only after a second dose did I get the measure of Garrone's mastery, and realize how far he has surpassed, not merely honored, the author's courageous toil.

The New Yorker

Lies are surpassing the truth.

The New York Times

The view was surpassing.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "merely surpassing" when you want to downplay the significance of exceeding a certain threshold. This suggests the achievement was minimal and not particularly impressive.

Common error

Avoid using "merely surpassing" when describing significant achievements. The phrase is best suited for situations where the degree of exceeding expectations is small or unimportant.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "merely surpassing" functions as an adverbial modifier emphasizing the limited extent to which something exceeds a particular level or expectation. As shown in the example provided by Ludwig, it downplays the significance of exceeding a benchmark.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "merely surpassing" is a grammatically correct construction used to downplay the extent to which something exceeds a specific benchmark. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's suitable when the achievement is minimal and the margin of exceeding expectations is small. Alternative phrases include "slightly exceeding" or "just exceeding", which similarly convey a sense of minimal accomplishment. The phrase is most commonly found in News & Media, emphasizing objective reporting. When using this phrase, avoid using it for significant achievements, as this would understate their value.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly exceeding

This alternative emphasizes the small degree by which something is surpassed.

just exceeding

Similar to "slightly exceeding", this focuses on the minimal margin of surpassing.

barely exceeding

This phrase suggests the smallest possible degree of surpassing, implying it was almost not achieved.

only exceeding

This option underlines that nothing more than the basic requirement was achieved.

marginally surpassing

This emphasizes the small degree of the increase or achievement.

scarcely surpassing

This implies that surpassing was difficult and only just achieved.

surpassing by a small margin

This explicitly states the small amount by which something surpassed the threshold.

exceeding by a fraction

This implies a very tiny amount of surpassing, often numerically precise.

exceeding within a hair's breadth

Suggests surpassing by a very close margin, highlighting the near failure.

hardly surpassing

This implies that the act of surpassing was barely noticeable or significant.

FAQs

How can I use "merely surpassing" in a sentence?

Use "merely surpassing" to indicate that something has exceeded a certain level, but not by much. For example, "The company's profits were "merely surpassing" last year's, indicating no significant growth."

What's a good alternative to "merely surpassing"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "slightly exceeding", "just exceeding", or "barely exceeding" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it appropriate to use "merely surpassing" in a formal context?

Yes, "merely surpassing" is appropriate for formal contexts when you need to precisely describe a situation where something has slightly exceeded expectations without implying significant accomplishment.

What is the difference between "merely surpassing" and "significantly exceeding"?

"Merely surpassing" implies a small, almost insignificant difference, while "significantly exceeding" indicates a substantial and noteworthy difference. Use "merely surpassing" when the margin is small and the achievement is not impressive.