outcompete

verb

out·​com·​pete ˌau̇t-kəm-ˈpēt How to pronounce outcompete (audio)
outcompeted; outcompeting

transitive verb

: to defeat, outdo, or displace by competing more effectively or aggressively
rival teams trying to outcompete one another
… one popular theory holds that dinosaurs outcompeted rival groups in their rise to world domination.Kate Wong

Examples of outcompete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The unsuspecting vireo will then raise the cowbird chicks, which grow faster than its own and outcompete the vireo nestlings for food. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024 Their larger size, more generalist nature and faster reproduction rate have primed them to outcompete spotted owls. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 Around 2010, soon after meeting this big, new predator that could outcompete and eat them, South Florida’s mammal populations collapsed. Max G. Levy, WIRED, 18 Aug. 2023 This invasive herb outcompetes native plants in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, posing a threat to other native plants and the species that depend on them. Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Feb. 2024 First, the big-headed ants outcompete native acacia ants in the genus Crematogaster. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024 After a long battle for market share in China, Tesla’s CEO issued a warning to his fellow automakers: That, on a level playing field, Chinese carmakers will outcompete almost everyone else. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 25 Jan. 2024 The best way to prevent crabgrass is to maintain a healthy, thick lawn that outcompetes and excludes crabgrass. Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2023 What’s more likely is that as the number of Neanderthals dwindled, they were outcompeted. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outcompete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outcompete was in 1889

Dictionary Entries Near outcompete

Cite this Entry

“Outcompete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcompete. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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