outwitted

past tense of outwit

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 outwitted 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 Twenty-six years ago, students treated a visit by then-President Bill Clinton as a challenge, and outwitted the Secret Service by secretly rigging a banner to unfurl at an inopportune moment. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 26 Apr. 2026 The Rams, seeded 11th, caused an average of 22 turnovers per game with its full-court trapping defense and outwitted everyone in their run from First Four to Final Four. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026 Probst, who grew up in the Seattle area and started his career here, is synonymous with the show that’s outlasted (and outwitted, and outplayed) any TV counterpart. Paige Cornwell, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026 Though Penn State had a key injury with linebacker Tony Rojas sidelined, Knowles was also outwitted by Neuheisel, who only took over the role for the Bruins earlier this week. Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwitted
Verb
  • New York City exploded with joy on Saturday night, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA finals.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 June 2026
  • Jalen Brunson finished with 45 points as the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to earn their first title since 1973.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Sunday outsmarted Adam and Hannah with a ruse at Tribal Council.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Verb
  • The problem is, most people feel deceived when the person in front of them doesn't match the profile.
    Charles Trepany, USA Today, 9 June 2026
  • Do not be deceived by this seemingly simple question.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Trump made the announcement as bipartisan backlash to Pulte’s appointment as interim director thwarted the extension of an important spy program earlier Thursday when Democrats who were initially expected to vote in favor of the extension revoked their support.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Local authorities in Pakistan said Tuesday that security forces killed eight attackers and thwarted an attempt to seize the checkpoint.
    CBS News, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Infantino endured another lesson in the limits of his facile brand of diplomacy in Vancouver, when he was outmaneuvered by Jibril Rajoub, the 73-year-old president of the Palestinian Football Association, who had asked to address the congress.
    Chris Jones, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026
  • But in the case of the stork, the bird saw the drone and outmaneuvered it.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • Busch wasn’t fooled when San Francisco Giants lefty reliever Erik Miller hung a 1-1 slider over the plate in the fifth inning.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
  • More knowledgeable shoppers than you have been fooled.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
  • No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.
    Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Allisha Gray tied her season high with 26 points, Isobel Borlase set a career best with 17 off the bench, and the Atlanta Dream overcame a slow start to roll past the Toronto Tempo 102-77 Sunday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
    Christopher Harris, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • Brunson scored 13 consecutive points in the fourth quarter for the Knicks, who overcame double-digit deficits in all four of their victories against the Spurs.
    Tim Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Outwitted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitted. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on outwitted

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster