as in defeating
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outfoxing
Verb
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Tage Thompson scored twice to reach 40 goals on the season, and the Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division title by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Monday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026 -
Supporters of Hungary’s Tisza party and its lead candidate, Péter Magyar, celebrated in the streets of Budapest after soundly defeating Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party in a general election, removing the autocratic Orbán from office after 16 years.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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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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
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There’s no outsmarting capitalism.—
Kyle Cheromcha,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Strategic Powerhouses These names are inspired by women who lead with their minds, outmaneuvering everyone in the room.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2026
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Ian Terry won Big Brother season 14 at just 21 years old, becoming the show’s youngest champion after outmaneuvering veteran players with a quiet — but highly calculated — game.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In long form, the writers can pack enough globe-spanning spy games, adrenaline-spiking set pieces, and terrorist-thwarting action to keep even James Bond – or Jack Bauer, or Jason Bourne – busy.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
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Mostly, Julian and Lori take turns thwarting his obnoxious kids and threatening to quit.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Through the window, the lack of visible trees suggested a barren landscape, but looks are deceiving.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Apr. 2026
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The specifications on the Neo can be deceiving.—
Dwight Silverman,
Houston Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But at the end of the day, Pasricha said, normalizing people doing human things in our homes without judgment and overcoming this embarrassment are important.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport's greatest teams itself.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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Indeed, depth would only get in the way of the plot, which is primarily concerned with fooling you and fooling you again.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Outfoxing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outfoxing. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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