as in to outwit
to get the better of through cleverness
the prisoners outfoxed the guards by tunneling beneath the prison walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 outfox
Japan, outfoxed by the stealthy maneuverer in the White House, had to recede.
—
Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
The governor’s better posture would be to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outfoxing Trump.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Situated in one of the game's smallest media markets, the Padres under General Manager A.J. Preller have spent lavishly and made a series of splashy acquisitions, but keep getting outfoxed by their upstate rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—David Faris, theweek, 5 Sep. 2024
Here, Shyamalan has similar intentions: His movie would be nothing without Hartnett’s serial killer outfoxing his pursuers, slipping past one security barrier after another, stealing access badges willy-nilly and engineering his daughter’s onstage appearance with her idol.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outfox
Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
The governor’s better posture would be to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outfoxing Trump.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Situated in one of the game's smallest media markets, the Padres under General Manager A.J. Preller have spent lavishly and made a series of splashy acquisitions, but keep getting outfoxed by their upstate rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—David Faris, theweek, 5 Sep. 2024
Here, Shyamalan has similar intentions: His movie would be nothing without Hartnett’s serial killer outfoxing his pursuers, slipping past one security barrier after another, stealing access badges willy-nilly and engineering his daughter’s onstage appearance with her idol.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outfox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outfox
Verb
-
How Serena managed to outwit her Secret Service agents and end up on the late night news shows vexes Sutton, who’s trying to maintain a flawless and relatively low-key reputation as the first Black woman president of the North American nation.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Their ultimate goal is to outwit, outplay, and outlast.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The bottom line: Retail traders seem to have outsmarted the smart money yet again.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
28 Jan. 2025
-
What her realization results in is a nearly 25-minute fight scene in the finale between Joe and Louise that ends with Louise outsmarting Joe at his own game and locking him up forever.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After a strikeout, Luis Castillo hit a foul fly that Moises Alou jumped for, only to have his efforts thwarted by a fan making a play on the ball himself.—
Steve Svekis,
Sun Sentinel,
18 May 2025
-
This is not the only recent livestock smuggling attempt thwarted at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in California.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
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
-
She was also found guilty of deceiving other officials about the man's identity.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Verb
-
The moment transpired seven months after the Liberty defeated the Minessota Lynx in a riveting five-game WNBA Finals.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
18 May 2025
-
But 19 months after the war in Gaza began, Israel has failed to either defeat Hamas or free all of the captives.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
During a stretch in which the Twins are outscoring opponents 68-29, the team is receiving contributions from just about everyone on the roster while concurrently overcoming the mounting injuries.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
-
Yet amid the devastation, a few glimmers of hope remain—Palestine’s U-20 national women’s team recently won the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, overcoming Jordan 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final following a 1-1 draw.—
Samindra Kunti,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
The speech also tackled an issue that has foxed previous governments: reforming the House of Lords.—
Jill Lawless,
The Christian Science Monitor,
17 July 2024
-
Raccoon: Raccoon is very similar to fox but rarely comes in any other colors besides that of a typical raccoon which is naturally ombré.—
Liana Satenstein,
Marie Claire,
13 Feb. 2014
Cite this Entry
“Outfox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outfox. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share