as in outwitted
to get the better of through cleverness
the prisoners outfoxed the guards by tunneling beneath the prison walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outfoxed
Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outfoxed
Verb
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Maduro has in any case outwitted dozens of attempts to depose him over the years.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Though Penn State had a key injury with linebacker Tony Rojas sidelined, Knowles was also outwitted by Neuheisel, who only took over the role for the Bruins earlier this week.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Houston Texans defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the final game of the wild card round of the playoffs on Monday in what might be the end of the Aaron Rodgers era in the NFL.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Panthers were defeated by the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31, on Saturday in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.—
Mike Kaye
January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, ancient mythology is filled with examples of crafty foxes being outsmarted by their own traps.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
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However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Heavy doses of match coverage take heavy doses of mental discipline, and the Broncos were outmaneuvered a few too many times by Jacksonville.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
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Ekman-Larsson was beaten for position in front of the net on the first one and then turned over the puck (and missed on a big neutral zone hit), which led to the second one as his partner, Rielly, was outmaneuvered for position in front of Dennis Hildeby.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
14 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
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Trump told people that Rupert deceived him.—
Gabriel Sherman,
Vanity Fair,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But season-ending injuries to Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Harris, coupled with Hampton being undermined by ankle injuries, thwarted meaningful year-over-year gains (122 yards per game in 2025; 111 in 2024).—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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Boldy had picked off a pass while shorthanded early in the game and had made a rush to the Panthers net that was thwarted.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The first generation of Iranian revolutionaries—including octogenarians like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—have long fooled themselves about their future.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by their jaw-dropping price, the bottoms deliver an expensive look thanks to their dark wash and classic cut.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One night after the Warriors snapped Minnesota's 103-game streak of scoring at least 100 points — the third-longest in NBA history — the Timberwolves overcame a cold start from the floor and 23 turnovers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The sonic boom barrier With the new electromagnetic rail system, engineers overcame a persistent barrier to reliable supersonic performance.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outfoxed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outfoxed. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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