outsmarting

verb

present participle of outsmart
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outsmarting My spam filter was working fine, but somehow these messages were outsmarting it! — Cellene Hoogenkamp, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 In his younger days, Presnell seemed to enjoy outsmarting people. — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The problem, according to Hinton, is that humans will no longer be able to rely on outsmarting super-intelligent AI models. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 The Fan, the season-long unsub obsessed with one-upping and outsmarting his idol. — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmarting
  1. outwitting
  2. defeating
  3. deceiving
  4. thwarting
  5. outmaneuvering
  6. overcoming
  7. fooling
  8. outfoxing
Verb
  • Similar storm-clouds are now gathering around Sánchez, a canny politician known for outwitting his opponents.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.
    — Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of outwitting
Verb
  • The Rams find the end zone late in the second quarter after a sluggish start and don’t look back, defeating the Chargers 24-9 to improve to 4-4 on the season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The matchup was billed as a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which Seattle won in February by defeating New England 29-10 to claim the franchise’s second Vince Lombardi Trophy.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • The first rule of thumb—and a solid piece of advice to live by—is that looks can be deceiving.
    — Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 1 Nov. 2026
  • But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceiving
Verb
  • Masterson, who has spent the last six years thwarting Kelly’s will as a top legislative leader in Topeka’s Republican supermajority, is now highlighting examples of his bipartisan achievements and describing Holscher as a socialist.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Yes, Fielder and Oppenheim are deliberately (and skillfully) thwarting those expectations, but to what end?
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of thwarting
Verb
  • Without his wife by his side, George, so confident in his business dealings and so adept at outmaneuvering the old-money elites whose hold on American enterprise is loosening, is unmoored.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The original 1960s cars had legendary status dominating the Monte Carlo Rally, outmaneuvering heavier machinery across icy mountain passes with lightweight agility rather than brute off-road hardware.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of outmaneuvering
Verb
  • The Dolphins had plenty more opportunities after Gordon’s penalty to right the ship, overcoming the challenges that the team’s second-half belly-flop presented.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Knicks got into the win column for the first time this season by overcoming a 13-point deficit in Tuesday’s home victory against the Detroit Pistons.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of overcoming
Verb
  • In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of fooling
Verb
  • Both candidates attempted to court voters by outfoxing each other in their support of the then-former president and the race became increasingly negative.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of outfoxing

Browse Nearby Words

outsmarted
outsmarting
outsmarts
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Cite this Entry

“Outsmarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmarting. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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