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 Outflanked by cruel and fickle gods at every turn, legendary Greek hero Odysseus outsmarted a one-eyed giant, suffered through the bewitching Sirens’ song and braved the Underworld’s dead denizens. — Alex Pulaski, Los Angeles Times, 8 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 Instead of drafting franchise cornerstones in JaMarr Chase or Penei Sewell, ex-GM Chris Grier outsmarted himself. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 The struggle resonated with parents on Reddit, many of whom admitted they have been outsmarted by their own baby gear. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026 In each of these cases, a tech company outsmarted a human—or several—either by producing text convincing enough to pass the smell test, or by creating and marketing a service that convinced a writer to offload part of their labor. — James Folta, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026 He gets outsmarted by Forst and trapped in a symbiotic relationship where has to work for the world’s worst man to see his discovery come to fruition. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 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

On Sunday, Spain defeated Argentina in extra time to win the 2026 World Cup in thrilling fashion.

— Dean Jones, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Spain defeated Argentina to win the FIFA men’s World Cup on Sunday, capping a tournament that was broadly seen as a success for the North American host nations.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 19 July 2026

Definition of defeated

Verb

In an era when AI generates convincing falsehoods at scale and a third of teenagers report being deceived by fake content online, the ability to weigh evidence critically is not an academic exercise but a plain necessity.

— Rajiv Vinnakota, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring with a spectacular cross-shot that deceived Jordan Pickford and, although Jude Bellingham struck back for England in first-half stoppage time, Norway looked the more likely winners as the second period wore on.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of deceived

Verb

Though agents responded as they were trained and quickly thwarted the gunman’s plot, some guests who had stepped out of the ballroom to use the bathroom — including CNN’s Wolf Blitzer — found themselves in the midst of the gunfire.

— Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Throughout Homer’s tale, Odysseus is repeatedly thwarted by divine wrath, nature and human fallibility.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 23 July 2026

Definition of thwarted

Verb

In the end, Seattle outmaneuvered and outbodied the Sparks, snatching steals and flipping the ball around the perimeter until the Storm fired off a shot.

— Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
The series will also recreate pivotal moments from Carlos’ life, while Carr examines how Carlos outmaneuvered intelligence services before being captured.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 24 June 2026

Definition of outmaneuvered

Verb

Christian Walker hit a three-run double, Cam Smith added a two-run homer in Houston’s eight-run sixth inning and the Astros overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Friday night.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Keegan netted twice in the first leg of the final as Liverpool overcame Borussia Monchengladbach 3-2 on aggregate.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of overcame

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“Outsmarted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmarted. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of outsmarted

verb

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