surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt 
surmounted; surmounting; surmounts
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
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
Examples of surmount in a Sentence
an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals
Recent Examples on the Web
The halftime scoreline was a mountain far too high for the Broncos to surmount, ending in an 84-65 victory for New Mexico (15-5, 7-1 Mountain West) over Boise State (13-6, 5-3).
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 18 Jan. 2025
But on Tuesday, the Santa Anas were able to surmount the mountains and send a downslope windstorm toward Pacific Palisades and Pasadena.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
The costs of extracting lithium in this way are unknown, Quigley said, and that includes the costs of surmounting potential logistical challenges of processing and transporting wastewater that comes from well pads across hundreds of miles of land.
—Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 30 May 2024
As a result, literature is full of reminders that long odds can sometimes be surmounted—that David can defeat Goliath, that perseverance can pay off, and that action can lead to change.
—Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for surmount 
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Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 18 Jan. 2025
But on Tuesday, the Santa Anas were able to surmount the mountains and send a downslope windstorm toward Pacific Palisades and Pasadena.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
The costs of extracting lithium in this way are unknown, Quigley said, and that includes the costs of surmounting potential logistical challenges of processing and transporting wastewater that comes from well pads across hundreds of miles of land.
—Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 30 May 2024
As a result, literature is full of reminders that long odds can sometimes be surmounted—that David can defeat Goliath, that perseverance can pay off, and that action can lead to change.
—Vanessa Armstrong, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for surmount
Dictionary Entries Near surmount
Cite this Entry
“Surmount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surmount. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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surmount
verb
sur·mount
sər-ˈmau̇nt
1
: overcome sense 1
surmount an obstacle
2
: to get to the top of : climb
3
: to stand or lie at the top of : crown
a weather vane surmounts the roof
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