outwit

verb out·wit \ ˌau̇t-ˈwit \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of outwit

outwitted; outwitting

transitive verb

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

2 archaic : to surpass in wisdom

See outwit defined for English-language learners

See outwit defined for kids

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 of outwit from the Web

Now a teenager, the strong-willed Ella must outwit her evil stepmother, escape hungry ogres and hold on to her best friend, all while getting rid of the troublesome curse and finding her own voice.

— andrea simakis, cleveland.com, "Dobama Theatre's 59th season a celebration of women's work, from Annie Baker's 'John' to Jennifer Haley's 'The Nether'," 7 Apr. 2018
Kids spend their sessions competing in zombie survival challenges that involve using science, math and storytelling skills to outwit the monsters (counselors and other campers dressed in Hollywood-worthy costumes).

— emily matchar, Smithsonian, "Ten Summer Camps For Little Innovators," 4 Apr. 2018
The journey ends in Portland, Oregon, where a tiny home village has emerged in a backyard as a way to outwit the city’s affordability crisis.

— diana budds, Curbed, "Detroit’s new starter home," 29 Mar. 2018
This one is based less on numbers of weapons and more on novel tactics and technologies, meant to outwit and outmaneuver the other side.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: More memos are coming. Here are six questions about ‘Phase Two’ of the Nunes investigation.," 5 Feb. 2018
My favorite was Otis Spofford, the title character in Beverly Cleary’s novel about a mischievous boy who outwitted all attempts to reform him.

— New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 23 Feb. 2018
This one is based less on numbers of weapons and more on novel tactics and technologies, meant to outwit and outmaneuver the other side.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: More memos are coming. Here are six questions about ‘Phase Two’ of the Nunes investigation.," 5 Feb. 2018
That’s no excuse not to learn about, say, next-generation antibiotics that can be turned off before bacteria learn to outwit them.

— erin blakemore, Washington Post, "Crunched for time? Snack on some science.," 4 Mar. 2018
Scientists try to outwit the mutating flu virus every year, and some years the vaccines are better matched to their viral adversaries.

— bruce selcraig, San Antonio Express-News, "Air Force physicians’ child was season’s first Bexar flu death," 12 Feb. 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.

First Known Use of outwit

circa 1630

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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outwit Synonyms

Synonyms

fox, outfox, outmaneuver, outsmart, outthink, overreach;

Related Words

outguess, second-guess;

baffle, balk, circumvent, foil, frustrate, thwart;

cozen, deceive, dupe, fool, gull, trick;

conquer, defeat, lick, overcome;

OUTWIT Defined for English Language Learners

outwit

verb

Definition of outwit for English Language Learners

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

OUTWIT Defined for Kids

outwit

verb out·wit \ au̇t-ˈwit \

Definition of outwit for Students

outwitted; outwitting

: outsmart

Learn More about outwit

See words that rhyme with outwit Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for outwit Spanish Central: Translation of outwit Nglish: Translation of outwit for Spanish speakers

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outwit

Definition of outwit

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First Known Use of outwit

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OUTWIT Defined for English Language Learners

outwit

Definition of outwit for English Language Learners

OUTWIT Defined for Kids

outwit

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outwit

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OUTWIT Defined for English Language Learners

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