outwit

verb

out·wit | \ˌau̇t-ˈwit

\

outwitted; outwitting

Definition of outwit

transitive verb

1 : to get the better of by superior cleverness : outsmart

2 archaic : to surpass in wisdom

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Examples of outwit in a Sentence

The fox managed to outwit the hunter by hiding in a tree. They thought they had outwitted the new teacher.

Recent Examples on the Web

Four rupees mean one Tenali Raman book with its useful stories on how to outwit kings, gurus, and men. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "‘Choose Marriage or Education’," 29 May 2018 Izquierdo then tore through the Arsenal defence, outwitting Mustafi before launching a shot from the edge of the area just wide of Čech's near-post. — SI.com, "Brighton Beats Joyless Arsenal to Pile More Pressure on Arsene Wenger," 4 Mar. 2018 Handcuffed to a beautiful but reluctant accomplice, Hannay must outwit a nefarious spy ring to prevent critical secrets from being sent out of the country. — F. Kathleen Foley, latimes.com, "The 99-Seat Beat: 'Slaughter City,' '39 Steps' and more," 22 June 2018 Mr Rajoy, a great survivor whose stolid appearance hides sharp political instincts, had been outwitted at last. — The Economist, "Spain’s new prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, assembles a reassuring team," 7 June 2018 Pep Guardiola was left clueless as a Jurgen Klopp masterclass outwitted his managerial opponent, and all but guaranteed progression into the next round. — SI.com, "Twitter Reacts to Man City's 'Nightmare' Capitulation in Unexpected UCL Thumping From Liverpool," 4 Apr. 2018 Other thieves have outwitted armed guards and alarm systems or cut through an airport fence or to seize their loot. — Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "The Biggest Jewelry Heists of All Time," 4 Oct. 2016 Weekend watchmen were outwitted by thieves who drilled through the walls or otherwise broke into the storerooms to extricate prized crates of garlic worth thousands of dollars. — Sean Patrick Cooper, The New Republic, "Is America Ready for the Next Superstorm?," 4 June 2018 Bosworth was to play Jack Thornton, the hero who outwits the sultan and wins the heart of the helpless heroine. — Longreads, "When the Movies Went West," 15 May 2018

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

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Time Traveler for outwit

The first known use of outwit was circa 1630

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More Definitions for outwit

outwit

verb

English Language Learners Definition of outwit

: to defeat or trick (someone) by being more intelligent or clever

See the full definition for outwit in the English Language Learners Dictionary

outwit

verb

out·wit | \au̇t-ˈwit

\

outwitted; outwitting

Kids Definition of outwit

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