From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsurmountsur‧mount /səˈmaʊnt $ sər-/ verb [transitive] formal 1 SUCCEED IN DOING somethingto succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty SYN overcome He has had to surmount immense physical disabilities.2 ON/ON TOP OFto be above or on top of something a tower surmounted by a domeGrammar Surmount is usually passive in this meaning. —surmountable adjective→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
surmount• Under Mrs Thatcher, it at last appeared that our chronic industrial and economic difficulties were being surmounted.• There is a threshold effect that is difficult to surmount.• The whole was surmounted by a magnificent clock-tower and backed by a massive train-shed of five spans.• The arch is surmounted by a triumphant statue of Columbus.• All these cathedrals were intended to have many towers surmounted by spires.• Mutual anger surmounts mutual embarrassment through the rest of the long dark carriage ride.• There are, however, many cultural barriers to be surmounted on the path toward a unified and modernized Sierra Leone.• Together, horse and driver conspired to surmount the hill.• None of the problems are so bad that we can't surmount them.• Even if these obstacles can be surmounted, they are likely to slow the process of achieving food self-sufficiency.Origin surmount (1300-1400) Old French surmonter, from sur- ( → SURCHARGE) + monter “to get up on to” 