as in to outwit
to get the better of through cleverness
an inexpensive security system that would likely be outsmarted by anyone with a serious interest in circumventing it
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Recent Examples of outsmart
This is an American story made by an international cohort — Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain is an executive producer under his Fabula production banner — and the film is so much more than just an exploration of this anomalous oddball story and character who managed to outsmart the media.
—
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
If people are constantly outsmarting the system, what does that say about the system itself?
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
To outsmart enemy defenses Current tests on the MQ-9 are being conducted in Syracuse, New York, and there is growing interest from the KC-46 and KC-135 tanker communities after successful demonstrations at the Air Reserve Components’ premiere weapons and tactics conference, known as ARCWEPTAC.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2025
To take back her freedom, Sara builds alliances and hunts for ways to outsmart the devices monitoring her dreams.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
If people are constantly outsmarting the system, what does that say about the system itself?
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
To outsmart enemy defenses Current tests on the MQ-9 are being conducted in Syracuse, New York, and there is growing interest from the KC-46 and KC-135 tanker communities after successful demonstrations at the Air Reserve Components’ premiere weapons and tactics conference, known as ARCWEPTAC.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2025
To take back her freedom, Sara builds alliances and hunts for ways to outsmart the devices monitoring her dreams.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmart
Verb
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Stephanie and Emily take advantage of this connection to outwit Charity.—
Hannah Madlener,
Glamour,
2 May 2025
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The old lad won the 2025 Masters in the most patent way possible, by outwitting an army of demons and finally meeting his place in history.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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After all, her deliberate burning of her sibling’s vast personal correspondence — only 160 of her approximately 3,000 letters are still intact — largely thwarted any attempt to further understand the famously elusive author.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
2 May 2025
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The action aims to boost fossil fuel extraction across federal lands and waters — despite domestic oil and gas production being at record highs — while simultaneously working to thwart renewable energy projects.—
Chris D'Angelo,
Vox,
2 May 2025
Verb
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That hasn’t stopped Liverpool using him to distract and deceive opponents when free kicks are won, however.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
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She was also found guilty of deceiving other officials about the man's identity.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Verb
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His last loss came in January 2019, when Geoff Neal defeated him via decision.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Perhaps their most memorable face-off came in 2021, when Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers famously defeated Patrick and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Even before the latest crackdown, Florida Decides Healthcare and every other Florida initiative campaign had to overcome immense hurdles.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2025
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At the same time, the Clippers have to overcome being … well … the Clippers.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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In the most iconic scene, he gets outfoxed on the subway by the French drug lord on a subway, playing cat-and-mouse on the platform.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2025
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The most challenging part of a campaign for Crimea may not be outfoxing Russia.—
Andriy Zagorodnyuk,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Jan. 2023
Verb
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Don’t be fooled by the context of what is said: the basis for the drama is jealousy and control.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
1 May 2025
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Rather than get stuck in or fooled by the appearance of things, this principle reminded us to sense their energetic underpinnings, such as clarity and intention.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
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And if this isn’t an isolated incident, then this presents a huge problem for the remnants of humanity, most of whom have survived through a mixture of luck and simply being able to outthink these single-minded creatures.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps the shape rotators are convinced that computers can outthink us because their own minds are so impoverished.—
Becca Rothfeld,
Washington Post,
26 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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