outsmart

verb

out·​smart ˌau̇t-ˈsmärt 

outsmarted; outsmarting; outsmarts

transitive verb

: to get the better of

especially : outwit

outsmarted their attackers and escaped unharmed

Synonyms of outsmart

• outwit
• thwart
• outmaneuver
• deceive
• defeat
• overcome
• outfox
• fool
• outthink

Examples of outsmart in a Sentence

The government must gather large amounts of information in order to outsmart its enemies.

an inexpensive security system that would likely be outsmarted by anyone with a serious interest in circumventing it

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and vast military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems using relatively cheap drones and missiles. — semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

In his younger days, Presnell seemed to enjoy outsmarting people. — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

The incident has been viewed as a warning sign for how AI models are learning to outsmart their human creators. — Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026

But his efforts to outsmart the bond market – the deepest and most important market on the planet – have not lived up to the hype. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for outsmart

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart

Kids Definition

outsmart

verb

out·​smart (ˈ)au̇t-ˈsmärt 

: outwit