as in to outwit
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
Relevance
Examples of outsmart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, who after fleeing Washington, would outsmart his pursuers throughout Southern Maryland until being shot in a Virginia tobacco barn.
—
Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024
Fallon also accused the Secret Service of being outsmarted by Crooks, who authorities say used his father’s rifle in the assault.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024
Dwight then outsmarts Caolan Waltrip (Ritchie Coster), leader of a rival gang, resulting in Caolan’s death during a bar fight, eliminating his immediate threats.
—Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
Utility is now trying to outsmart them June 5, 2024
On Monday afternoon, employees at the city reservoir discovered that someone had crossed a security perimeter at the storage site.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for outsmart 
Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024
Fallon also accused the Secret Service of being outsmarted by Crooks, who authorities say used his father’s rifle in the assault.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 22 July 2024
Dwight then outsmarts Caolan Waltrip (Ritchie Coster), leader of a rival gang, resulting in Caolan’s death during a bar fight, eliminating his immediate threats.
—Maddie Garfinkle, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
Utility is now trying to outsmart them June 5, 2024
On Monday afternoon, employees at the city reservoir discovered that someone had crossed a security perimeter at the storage site.
—Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for outsmart
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outsmart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Thesaurus Entries Near outsmart
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share