Thesaurus results for OUTSMARTED

outsmarted

verb

past tense of outsmart

as in outwitted

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

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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 outsmarted While Shadab outsmarted England pace with his brilliant batting, Rauf gave him ample support by sensibly not going for expansive shots. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 But this will be forever known as a day when football’s smartest organization got outsmarted, when football’s best coach fumbled and when the San Francisco 49ers turned football’s giants into so much shrimp on the barbie. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 After being humiliated and outsmarted when Julia escaped his grasp with Henry’s help in the season one finale, Lovat is presumably more dangerous than ever — and Henry will need to find a way back to save her once again. — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 For fun, its creator Antonio Prohias also introduced a third agent who often outsmarted both. — Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 This disease did not retreat because the bacterium weakened or because humanity outsmarted it. — Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 July 2026 The world’s leading superpower was outsmarted by Iran, perhaps because Iran’s secretary of defense took his job seriously. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 June 2026 Meanwhile, Tyreese is outsmarted by the Terminus Tiger Fan, who grabs baby Judith and threatens to snap her neck unless Tyreese walks unarmed into a herd of walkers outside. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 And some of the bees that technically failed the test may have actually outsmarted their contemporaries—by learning to work smarter, not harder. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmarted

Verb

To say that Cucurella was pleased, when the Spanish side outwitted the French in the semifinal, would be an understatement.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
For Deschamps and Stephan, there was no shortage of blame after Spain’s Luis de la Fuente outwitted the French coaching staff for the third time, following wins at the 2024 European Championship and last year’s Nations League semi-final.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Definition of outwitted

Verb

Stevens defeated El-Sayed in both counties in the August primary, drawing support from Black and Jewish voters who are important parts of the Democratic coalition.

— Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Also claiming titles Thursday were 4A Oconee County, which defeated Columbus, and Bremen, with a win over Gordon Lee in Class 2A/A.

— Caitlyn Stroh-Page, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of defeated

Verb

But don’t be deceived, these are not primarily poems of the body, though the animal body–the dog, the human, meat– return throughout.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Attorneys for New Mexico argued that the state's entire population, not just Facebook users, were deceived by the company's public statements about privacy on the platform.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceived

Verb

After traveling thousands of miles for my first total solar eclipse, I'd been thwarted first by clouds, then by a car park's security lights.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Every time the twitchy little bug stops for a moment, Snaggletooth focuses to prepare a pounce, only to be thwarted as the fatty snack buzzes to another spot in the nest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of thwarted

Verb

First-year Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ former offensive coordinator, outcoached and outmaneuvered McVay, his friend and mentor.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
For more than a decade, India’s leader Narendra Modi has seemed politically unassailable, presiding over a government that has outmaneuvered opponents, dominated public discourse and squeezed the space for dissent in the world’s biggest democracy.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026

Definition of outmaneuvered

Verb

The Department of Justice on Friday added a request that the judge separate all ballots showing votes for the second Dan Sullivan until it can be determined whether voters were fooled into wasting their votes for a spoiler candidate.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2026
Don’t be fooled by its small stature, because its layout is designed for efficient livability and maximum storage.

— Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of fooled

Verb

Across two seasons packed with twisty machinations, Jung’s virtuous prosecutor Jang Geon-young attempted to pin down Hyun’s shamelessly corrupt — but effortlessly cool — intelligence officer Baek Ki-tae, only to be outfoxed at every turn.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Gauff dug in, matched Badosa’s power, and outfoxed her when the opportunities arose.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of outfoxed

Verb

Its weight got heavier and that weight overcame the plane’s capabilities.

— Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Cutter Gauthier had his second career hat trick, scoring the go-ahead goal early in the third period, and the Ducks overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3 on Sunday night.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of overcame

Browse Nearby Words

outsmart

outsmarted

outsmarting

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“Outsmarted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmarted. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of outsmarted

verb

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