Thesaurus results for OUTSMARTING

outsmarting

verb

present participle of outsmart

as in outwitting

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 outsmarting Mosquitoes just might be outsmarting us Mosquitoes may be beating us at our own game − by making repellent attractive. —

Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 13 June 2026 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 These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries. —

Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 Predicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them. —

David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026 Invite critiques to maintain humility Nicholas likes to tell his team that loyalty in retail is just the absence of something better, and he is driven by a fear of rivals like Costco outsmarting his business. —

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 17 Oct. 2025 Because some of them act like complete idiots, but Wendy is constantly outsmarting everyone. —

Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Each episode will see the heroes explore new lands — from glittering mining mountains to secret vault cities — solving puzzles, cracking codes and outsmarting digital bandits along the way. —

Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmarting

Verb

Similar storm-clouds are now gathering around Sánchez, a canny politician known for outwitting his opponents.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.

— Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026

Definition of outwitting

Verb

Yet, Rob-Will walked out of rehab, and is intent on thwarting the ceremonial ranch handover to heir-apparent Joaquin.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 19 June 2026
Alexander defeated Slater for the X Division Championship a few weeks ago, thwarting Slater’s chance at becoming the longest reigning X Division champion of all time.

— Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026

Definition of thwarting

Verb

Two generals agreed with Ashley's characterization, stressing the view that on the front lines, Ukraine was outmaneuvering Russia.

— Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Rather than overpowering them with brute force, German forces managed to defeat the French and British forces in the Battle of France (1940) by simply outmaneuvering them.

— Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026

Definition of outmaneuvering

Verb

The strategies aim to do away with piecemeal approaches to overcoming the unique challenges that islands and coastal communities face, offering a comprehensive approach, said Raffaele Fitto, European Commission executive vice president for cohesion and reforms.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
How did overcoming addiction play a role in this album?

— Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of overcoming

Verb

Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 17 June 2026
The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.

— Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026