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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwitted
Verb
  • In the day's other National Women's Soccer League matches, Racing Louisville defeated Angel City 2-1; and the Seattle Reign shut out the San Diego Wave 2-0.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 July 2026
  • The Young Bucks defeated Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay in a tag team match, with the Death Riders' internal conflict and crucial mistakes costing them the win.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • 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
Verb
  • Mora filed a cross-complaint against Giumarra alleging he was deceived by the company and its representatives into signing a contract that made false claims about the fruit, including that it was patented by Giumarra.
    Robert Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
  • 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
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
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
Verb
  • OpenAI's Atlas was once fooled into sending a resignation letter, and Perplexity's Comet exposed user data in tests.
    Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • You may be fooled into joining a brokerage with high fees, poor investment options or other red flags.
    Dan Avery, CNBC, 17 July 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
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Outwitted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitted. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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