as in outwitting
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 outsmarting
Mosquitoes just might be outsmarting us Mosquitoes may be beating us at our own game − by making repellent attractive.
—
Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 13 June 2026
Not for the faint-hearted, but catnip for that certain type who’s made a fortune by outsmarting competing hedge fund managers or private equity firms.
—Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
There’s no outsmarting capitalism.
—Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 1 Apr. 2026
These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Predicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Invite critiques to maintain humility Nicholas likes to tell his team that loyalty in retail is just the absence of something better, and he is driven by a fear of rivals like Costco outsmarting his business.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Because some of them act like complete idiots, but Wendy is constantly outsmarting everyone.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 13 June 2026
Not for the faint-hearted, but catnip for that certain type who’s made a fortune by outsmarting competing hedge fund managers or private equity firms.
—Andrés Martinez, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
There’s no outsmarting capitalism.
—Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 1 Apr. 2026
These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Predicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
Invite critiques to maintain humility Nicholas likes to tell his team that loyalty in retail is just the absence of something better, and he is driven by a fear of rivals like Costco outsmarting his business.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Because some of them act like complete idiots, but Wendy is constantly outsmarting everyone.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmarting
Verb
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Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
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Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After defeating fellow American Kyle Daukaus, fighter Bo Nickal praised the president.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Cardenas is currently running for re-election to the Board of Review, and won the Democratic primary in March, defeating former Friends of the Parks executive director Juanita Irizarry.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
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But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
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He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Scenes at the coveted Edwards Ranch — the property Rip and Beth took over, thwarting Beulah Jackson's (Annette Bening) plans to expand her land — were filmed at the real-life Saunders Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Brendan Fraser is on hand as well, playing a jerky LAPD detective who keeps stepping on Diamond’s toes, thwarting the private eye’s shrewd attempts to crack the case.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Two generals agreed with Ashley's characterization, stressing the view that on the front lines, Ukraine was outmaneuvering Russia.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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Rather than overpowering them with brute force, German forces managed to defeat the French and British forces in the Battle of France (1940) by simply outmaneuvering them.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Biden, who has spoken at length about overcoming drug addiction, claims to be at least $15 million in debt.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
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Many training programs for travel consultants (or really for anybody who works in sales) include tactics on overcoming objections.—
Scott Laird,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outsmarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmarting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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