outwitting

verb

present participle of outwit
as in outsmarting
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 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
  1. outsmarting
  2. defeating
  3. thwarting
  4. deceiving
  5. outmaneuvering
  6. overcoming
  7. fooling
  8. outfoxing
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
Definition of outsmarting
Verb
  • DeSoto won the Class 6A Division II state championship last season, defeating Southlake Carroll in the state semifinals.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Boise State started the season 1-1, losing 42-21 to Central Michigan before defeating Portland State 33-22 in a pair of nonconference games.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • Oregon is one of the only states in the country with a carve-out in its public records law that prevents disclosing the financial details of subsidized housing projects, thwarting researchers and journalists who have tried to examine their costs.
    — Rob Davis, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Ed Yardeni isn’t worried about the sharp rise in sovereign bond yields thwarting stocks.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of thwarting
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
  • Oura is facing accusations of deceiving customers about the accuracy of its sleep-tracking features on its popular smart rings.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deceiving
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
Definition of outmaneuvering
Verb
  • Curaçao went unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament before overcoming an early two-run deficit to the team from Henderson, Nevada.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of focusing on adventurous missions like PAW Patrol, Super Monsters emphasizes the more emotional aspects of childhood, like overcoming shyness, being a good friend, and learning from your mistakes.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcoming
Verb
  • 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
  • Throughout all the commotion, Romelu Lukaku acted as decoy, holding on to the ball, fooling everyone, including the TV producer, who pulled up a graphic showing his recent penalty record.
    — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of fooling
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
Definition of outfoxing

Browse Nearby Words

outwitted
outwitting
outwore
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Cite this Entry

“Outwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitting. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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