outwit

verb

ˌau̇t-ˈwit How to pronounce outwit (audio)
Definition of outwitnext
as in to outsmart
to get the better of through cleverness a plan to outwit their opponents at their own game

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 outwit Similar storm-clouds are now gathering around Sánchez, a canny politician known for outwitting his opponents. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026 Out of the first 3,000 participants, only three adults managed to outwit the kids and win the million-dollar grand prize. — Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 The Bed Rot Challenge is a new reality competition web series in which stars from Survivor, The Traitors, Love Island USA, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Bachelorette, and Beast Games will attempt to outwit and outlast each other… on a bed. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026 Towering over the town is another, much bigger, Venetian fort, the Palamidhi (named after Palamedes, Nafplio’s legendarily clever local hero, who outwitted Odysseus and, well, didn’t live long enough to regret it). — Helen Brown, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for outwit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwit
  1. outsmart
  2. outmaneuver
  3. thwart
  4. deceive
  5. defeat
  6. overcome
  7. outfox
  8. fool
Verb
  • But, at the same time, the car’s computing system that controls electrical deployment is trying to outsmart them.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • At a certain point, people won’t be able to outsmart advanced AI anymore; this is not just another opinion.
    — Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of outsmart
Verb
  • The characters' abilities are built around outmaneuvering, not outgunning.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 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 outmaneuver
Verb
  • In the footage, players follow the story of Jason and Lucia, a couple living in the fictional Vice City, who are picking up drugs, and their mission is thwarted by the police, who begin to raid the place.
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ortiz vowed to interrogate and, if necessary, kill any traitors who thwarted him and Simon.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of thwart
Verb
  • Your eyes aren't deceiving you — the little delivery robots rolling down Washington DC streets are becoming a more common sight.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Jury Duty has managed to deceive two unsuspecting do-gooders with civic duty and a company retreat.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • Steph Talbot scored 19 points as Australia defeated Puerto Rico 70-54 to get its campaign off to a winning start.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Leipzig scenes are both ephemeral and integral; later, Taro will speculate that if the Germans had had the same revolutionary zeal as the Spanish, Hitler might have been defeated.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Augusto, Marrero, Hernández and countless others have little choice but to figure things out which, in Cuban parlance, means overcoming whatever obstacle is placed in their way.
    — Juan Carlos López, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • McKee, 75, will also have to overcome simmering anger over a bridge repair project that has dragged on longer than expected.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of overcome
Verb
  • Both candidates attempted to court voters by outfoxing each other in their support of the then-former president and the race became increasingly negative.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Whenever Rebecca can outfox him, Rupert manages to manipulate situations, which is how the Water sign aims to take control of matters.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of outfox
Verb
  • The film is based on the real-life Operation Fortitude, an Allied military deception designed to fool Nazi Germany about the true location of the D-Day landing in 1944.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Sebastian Galeano fools the Lake Mary defense by carrying it himself and scampers 40 yards for the touchdown.
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fool

Browse Nearby Words

outweighs
outwit
outwits
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outwit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwit. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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