as in to outwit
to get the better of through cleverness
the company's growth is due in large part to its marketing division's ability to outthink the competition
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Recent Examples of outthink
Altman, always the AI optimist, has previously touted AI’s potential to someday outthink humans, but the technology’s past three years of progress since OpenAI kicked off the AI arms race with ChatGPT’s release have shown him this moment could come sooner rather than later.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2025
Geoff Hinton, one of the most influential voices in artificial intelligence, warned that humanity is running out of time to prepare for machines that outthink us.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
And if this isn’t an isolated incident, then this presents a huge problem for the remnants of humanity, most of whom have survived through a mixture of luck and simply being able to outthink these single-minded creatures.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2025
Perhaps the shape rotators are convinced that computers can outthink us because their own minds are so impoverished.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
What the talent evaluators of the Carolina Panthers saw this draft cycle was an undersized quarterback from the University of Alabama whose ability to outthink defenses outweighed his physical limitations.
—Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 28 Apr. 2023
By June, however, Space Force and its Combatant Command, U.S. Space Command, were recruiting tech-smart people; coordinating with international allies; deciding which technologies to buy; and running war-game simulations in which teams attack, counterattack and outthink one another.
—Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2025
Geoff Hinton, one of the most influential voices in artificial intelligence, warned that humanity is running out of time to prepare for machines that outthink us.
—Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
And if this isn’t an isolated incident, then this presents a huge problem for the remnants of humanity, most of whom have survived through a mixture of luck and simply being able to outthink these single-minded creatures.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2025
Perhaps the shape rotators are convinced that computers can outthink us because their own minds are so impoverished.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
What the talent evaluators of the Carolina Panthers saw this draft cycle was an undersized quarterback from the University of Alabama whose ability to outthink defenses outweighed his physical limitations.
—Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 28 Apr. 2023
By June, however, Space Force and its Combatant Command, U.S. Space Command, were recruiting tech-smart people; coordinating with international allies; deciding which technologies to buy; and running war-game simulations in which teams attack, counterattack and outthink one another.
—Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outthink
Verb
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Maigret must outwit some of Paris’s most cunning and violent criminals, while dealing with his own troubled past.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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But like any virus, RSV has the ability to mutate, so at least one question remained: Could the virus eventually outwit nirsevimab?—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Successive Iranian rulers believed that dams, deep wells, and inter-basin transfers could outsmart geography and climate.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Body wallet To outsmart Air France’s 12-kilogram carry-on cap, try strapping as much to your body.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Alongside her estranged husband Ryan, the devout Moses (Hill), and new allies Samson (Feliz) and Delilah (Obsidian), Virginia must outmaneuver billionaire cult leader Luther Bell, played with magnetic menace by Esposito.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
4 Oct. 2025
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Footage released by the Philippine government shows a Chinese coast guard cutter colliding with a People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer after being outmaneuvered by a Philippine fisheries bureau vessel.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Everton appear locked in a cycle where their starting No 9 flatters to deceive, is left out for the next game, but then the replacement fares little better.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, bank customers aren't always reimbursed when they're hit by some scams, including when they're deceived into making a payment to a con artist, such as in a romance scam.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Authorities have vowed to step up measures to minimize and thwart the threat posed by drones.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
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There had already been one major let-off with Alisson thwarting Yilmaz, who had got in behind the makeshift right-back too easily.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For Woodruff, The Green Kitchen was born out of her own healing journey after overcoming the Epstein-Barr virus and heavy metal toxicity through mindful eating and nutrient-dense foods.—
Wyles Daniel,
AZCentral.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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The six-week course, according to a syllabus, blends positive thinking with business and money strategies, offering advice on how to outwork the competition, manage ego, overcome failure and set goals — with homework assignments included.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The high point came in September 2014, when Brækhus defeated Croatian Ivana Habazin to add the IBF welterweight title to her WBA, WBC, and WBO belts – becoming the first woman in any weight division to be recognized as an undisputed champion.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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The Yankees defeated the rival Boston Red Sox in three games at Yankee Stadium Thursday night, and the Dodgers rolled over the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of lopsided affairs at Dodger Stadium, capped by an 8-4 finale Wednesday.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He was outfoxed, outplayed and frustrated by the calm version of Daniil Medvedev in 2023, and lost in straight sets to Botic van De Zandschulp in the second round last year.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outthink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outthink. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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