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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outsmart
However, ancient mythology is filled with examples of crafty foxes being outsmarted by their own traps.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers not only outspend every team by a wide margin, but also outsmart and outperform them.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The attacker does not need to outsmart Instagram.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Even young people trying to outsmart automation by ditching degrees or upskilling into trade jobs are destined for the same dead end.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers not only outspend every team by a wide margin, but also outsmart and outperform them.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The attacker does not need to outsmart Instagram.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Even young people trying to outsmart automation by ditching degrees or upskilling into trade jobs are destined for the same dead end.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmart
Verb
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The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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Her adrenal gland would begin to work overtime and she’d be lifted up, energized, hunted, and desperate to outwit her attacker and survive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Former Mayor Eric Adams attempted to thwart Mamdani’s plans by stacking the Rent Guidelines Board with his own appointees at the end of his term.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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The military said in a statement that the attackers overnight had sought to breach the checkpoint but were thwarted by security forces.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 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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With the rise of prediction markets allowing people to bet on elections, sports, musical performances and live press conferences, traders are becoming increasingly creative to outmaneuver other bettors.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neglecting The Kitchen Sink Your sink may look spick-and-span, but looks can be deceiving.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
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But a superficial comparison between Delta, United, and American across certain headline metrics can be deceiving.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sherman Oaks Notre Dame defeated Corona Centennial 59-56.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
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That particular corner was filled with pink shirts and defeated faces, and Salloi stood in front of them, fingers in the corners of his mouth, drawing his smile wide like the Joker.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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France’s Eric Perrot overcame a wobble on the final shoot and a late surge from Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen to win a sensational first men’s relay gold medal for his country today.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
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While most fungal attempts at infection fail, a small number do succeed thanks to the constant evolutionary pressure on pathogens to overcome host plant defenses.—
Lily Peck,
The Conversation,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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But even foxes can outfox themselves by their own designs.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
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Still, don’t be fooled by the light turnout.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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