outweigh

out·weigh | \ ˌau̇t-ˈwā

How to pronounce outweigh (audio)

\

outweighed; outweighing; outweighs

Definition of outweigh

transitive verb

: to exceed in weight, value, or importance the advantages outweigh the disadvantages

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Examples of outweigh in a Sentence

She outweighs her sister by 10 pounds. This issue outweighs all others in importance.

Recent Examples on the Web On the other, nonprofits representing native tribes and green groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, have raised serious doubts about whether the benefits will outweigh the risks. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Flight shaming’ could help unleash billions in airline cash to protect the Amazon and other tropical forests," 15 Sep. 2019 If the benefits of living near lions can outweigh the cost, then people will choose to protect them, Dickman says. — Olivia Prentzel, National Geographic, "Where lions once ruled, they are now quietly disappearing," 18 July 2019 The Trump administration said Mr. Ross, whose department oversees the Census Bureau, had the legal authority to include the question and determined that the benefits of having the citizenship data outweighed the potential of a lower response rate. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Supreme Court Blocks Citizenship Question From 2020 Census for Now," 27 June 2019 Based on these results, the task force determined that the benefits of protection from HIV outweighed the potential risks of the medication. — Time, "Expert Group Recommends PrEP Drug to Prevent HIV Infection," 11 June 2019 Meanwhile public health advocates argued that the benefits to public health outweigh the negative impact a ban could have on retail sales. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, "Beverly Hills becomes first U.S. city to ban tobacco sales," 5 June 2019 But Fenton and others say Apple's security track record is solid enough that the benefits will likely outweigh the risks for the average person. — Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, "'Sign In With Apple' Protects You in Ways Google and Facebook Don't," 4 June 2019 Although some injuries and even deaths have been blamed on air bags, particularly in their early years, that is vastly outweighed by the number of lives saved. — CBS News, "Almanac: Air bags," 1 Sep. 2019 That's outweighed concerns about geopolitical tensions in Venezuela and Iran that could hit supply. — Julia Horowitz, CNN, "Market relief; Lyft and Uber; Oil boost," 8 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'outweigh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

25 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for outweigh

The first known use of outweigh was in 1534

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