Surpasses on degrees (9)

I believe the answer is:

oversteps

'surpasses' is the definition.
(overstepping is a kind of surpassing)

'on degrees' is the wordplay.
'on' becomes 'over' (I've seen this in other clues).
'degrees' becomes 'steps' (I've seen this in another clue).
'over'+'steps'='OVERSTEPS'

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.