outthink

verb

out·​think ˌau̇t-ˈthiŋk How to pronounce outthink (audio)
outthought ˌau̇t-ˈthȯt How to pronounce outthink (audio) ; outthinking

transitive verb

1
: to outdo or surpass in thinking : to go beyond or transcend by thinking
Thus does a candidate who is certainly capable of equalling or outthinking his competitors on the issues find himself fighting a shadow war against himself.E. J. Dionne, Jr.
2
: to get the better of by thinking more quickly or adroitly than : outwit
All trying to buy low, to sell high, now to outthink the other fellow, now to collude with them, to defraud a third party.David Mamet

Examples of outthink in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest people when tackling many complex topics. Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 By June, however, Space Force and its Combatant Command, U.S. Space Command, were recruiting tech-smart people; coordinating with international allies; deciding which technologies to buy; and running war-game simulations in which teams attack, counterattack and outthink one another. Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020 What the talent evaluators of the Carolina Panthers saw this draft cycle was an undersized quarterback from the University of Alabama whose ability to outthink defenses outweighed his physical limitations. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 28 Apr. 2023 Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors. Clark Collis, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2023 Warzel offers this advice: Don’t try to outthink the robots. Robin Ryan, Forbes, 9 Nov. 2021 The Cowboys should remain at No. 10 and don’t attempt to outthink the draft. David Moore, Dallas News, 22 Apr. 2021 Watching the underdog lead, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, outthink her opponents was so uplifting, viewers were tricked into thinking chess is a thrilling spectator sport. Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, 25 Dec. 2020 Pochettino was bafflingly outthought by Steve Bruce in a game Tottenham were expected to win by three or four goals. SI.com, 7 Sep. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outthink.' 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

1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of outthink was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near outthink

Cite this Entry

“Outthink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outthink. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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