outmaneuver

verb

out·​ma·​neu·​ver ˌau̇t-mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər 

outmaneuvered; outmaneuvering

transitive verb

: to outdo, defeat, or gain an advantage over by skillful or clever maneuvering : to maneuver more effectively than

Battalions are especially important in desert warfare because they are powerful enough to deliver devastating blows … but small enough to sneak along ridges and valleys to outmaneuver larger forces.

—Bob Davis

… an amorally ambitious studio exec who disposes of a threatening screenwriter as coolly as he outmaneuvers a rival executive.

—Gregg Kilday

Sabre pilots learned that if they could force their adversaries to change direction rapidly, the Sabre could outmaneuver them.

—Fred Reed

Synonyms

• outwit
• outsmart
• thwart
• deceive
• defeat
• overcome
• outfox
• outthink

Examples of outmaneuver in a Sentence

outmaneuvered his congressional opponent by co-opting his call for change in Washington

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1994 — after a 10-month slog of outmaneuvering rival suitors that include Barry Diller, QVC, John Malone and then-powerful telco BellSouth – Sumner Redstone closed the deal for Paramount Pictures alone at $9.5 billion – that’s $19.5 billion in today’s dollars, adjusted for inflation. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2025

Leaders who cling to the illusion of long-term predictability will be outmaneuvered by those who treat strategy not as a map but as a compass. —Rupesh Dabbir, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Yet the firms that keep outmaneuvering their peers treat constraint as a forcing function for clarity, speed, and differentiation. —Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Settle old scores, outmaneuver the feds, and disappear for good. —Okla Jones, Essence, 22 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for outmaneuver

• approver
• improver
• maneuver
• remover
• louver
• mover

Kids Definition

outmaneuver

verb

out·​ma·​neu·​ver

ˌau̇t-mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər

: to be more skillful or successful than in maneuvering