outwitting

present participle 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 outwitting 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 Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them. — Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026 The characters here, though, are nowhere near so smart as those conniving pagans and can only dream of outwitting the sophisticated folk from the mainland, coming there with their talk of cake, and comfy chairs, and their lies. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026 Time and Numbers—there’s no outwitting them. — Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Ben Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Knowles, Alex O’Connor—these are professional debaters capable of outwitting and outreasoning almost any audience member unfamiliar with traditional debate techniques, regardless of the topic or claim being considered. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwitting
Verb
  • The problem, according to Hinton, is that humans will no longer be able to rely on outsmarting super-intelligent AI models.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Fan, the season-long unsub obsessed with one-upping and outsmarting his idol.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • Kelce and the Chiefs dominated the early-season contest, defeating the visiting Chicago Bears, 41-10.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the most difficult fraud does not start by defeating the bank’s technology.
    — Shahen Minasyan, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Still, mRNA has proven effective at thwarting other types of cancer.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Relying on the tropes rather than having fun with them, thwarting them.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Pitinan Packable Rain Jacket With Hood, $27 Packing for a short weekend getaway is deceiving.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Six years later, over 2,000 colleges and universities are still test-optional – although the categorization may be deceiving, as some scholarships may depend on SAT scores.
    — Beth Kania-Gosche, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The characters' abilities are built around outmaneuvering, not outgunning.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • May built one of the most dominant teams in Big Ten history by outmaneuvering his peers in the transfer portal.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • That included overcoming injuries to Jose Ramirez, Angel Martínez and rookie Chase DeLauter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers found that the material could undergo helicity-independent magnetization reversal, overcoming a major constraint of earlier approaches.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • In the highlight, Marshall retrieves the ball and oddly fires it back to the infield, fooling no one.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Anybody hoping that a Netanyahu defeat in October and the emergence of a less controversial successor will reset the table is likely fooling themselves.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Outwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitting. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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