as in defeating
to get the better of through cleverness
outmaneuvered his congressional opponent by co-opting his call for change in Washington
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 outmaneuvering
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
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
Mamdani will lead a city of over 8 million people, the capital of media, finance and much else, whose annual budget tops $116 billion, after outmaneuvering rivals with decades more experience in a race that captured national attention.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Relay is a smart, small-scale espionage film focused on operatives outmaneuvering one another.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Feb. 2026
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
Mamdani will lead a city of over 8 million people, the capital of media, finance and much else, whose annual budget tops $116 billion, after outmaneuvering rivals with decades more experience in a race that captured national attention.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Relay is a smart, small-scale espionage film focused on operatives outmaneuvering one another.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outmaneuvering
Verb
-
Ben Shelton bounced back from disappointment last year by defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 to win the Munich Open on Sunday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Cargill won the title at Saturday Night’s Main Event in November, defeating Tiffany Stratton.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
Mostly, Julian and Lori take turns thwarting his obnoxious kids and threatening to quit.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Swalwell apparently did an excellent job deceiving those around him, including some congressional and campaign staffers who’d known him for years and worked closely with the seven-term lawmaker, day in, day out.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Mets have a responsibility to protect their players by not throwing them under the bus, but there are ways to do that without trying to convince people that their eyes are deceiving them.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frank said the team could take pride in overcoming its dreadful start to come within a few victories of landing a higher seed that would have assured them a playoff spot, and posting its league-best 15th consecutive winning season.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Halos stormed through the playoffs to this franchise's only championship, overcoming a 3-2 series deficit to Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants to win the World Series.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But Baio says Kassotis has been fooling people for years.—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The bill’s supporters frame it as a blow against overregulation, viewing it as a necessary bulwark against (supposedly) overreaching state animal welfare standards like Question 3.—
John Cleveland,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
-
But some Bay Area cities and counties already have decided that the Flock Safety tools are too overreaching.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outmaneuvering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outmaneuvering. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
