outmaneuver
verb
out·ma·neu·ver
ˌau̇t-mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər 
outmaneuvered; outmaneuvering
: 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
Bob Davis… an amorally ambitious studio exec who disposes of a threatening screenwriter as coolly as he outmaneuvers a rival executive.—Gregg Kilday
Gregg KildaySabre pilots learned that if they could force their adversaries to change direction rapidly, the Sabre could outmaneuver them.—Fred Reed
Fred ReedExamples of outmaneuver in a Sentence
outmaneuvered his congressional opponent by co-opting his call for change in Washington
Recent Examples on the Web
Legal experts told the American-Statesman at the time that the case reflected the agency’s increasingly common use of speed and technical arguments to outmaneuver attorney’s efforts to slow deportations.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Ian Terry won Big Brother season 14 at just 21 years old, becoming the show’s youngest champion after outmaneuvering veteran players with a quiet — but highly calculated — game.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
How will both countries’ robotaxi operators outmaneuver each other for market share?
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Heavy doses of match coverage take heavy doses of mental discipline, and the Broncos were outmaneuvered a few too many times by Jacksonville.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
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Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Ian Terry won Big Brother season 14 at just 21 years old, becoming the show’s youngest champion after outmaneuvering veteran players with a quiet — but highly calculated — game.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
How will both countries’ robotaxi operators outmaneuver each other for market share?
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
Heavy doses of match coverage take heavy doses of mental discipline, and the Broncos were outmaneuvered a few too many times by Jacksonville.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outmaneuver
Cite this Entry
“Outmaneuver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outmaneuver. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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