as in outsmarting
to get the better of through cleverness
a plan to outwit their opponents at their own game
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Recent Examples of outwitting
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
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
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Not for the faint-hearted, but catnip for that certain type who’s made a fortune by outsmarting competing hedge fund managers or private equity firms.—
Andrés Martinez,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There’s no outsmarting capitalism.—
Kyle Cheromcha,
The Drive,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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La Catalina had her first match in AAA, defeating Jessy Jackson.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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In the process of winning 14 straight division championships from 1991-2005, Cox appeared in four other World Series, losing to Gillick’s Blue Jays in 1992 and the Yankees in 1996 and ’99 but defeating the Indians in 1995.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian militants to stage attacks against its forces.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
7 May 2026
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Frey unleashed his five-pitch arsenal, thwarting the Spartans most of the way.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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He's accused of deceiving more than 6,500 pet owners and denying them promised burial services.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
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Journalists must avoid deception, but the primary instance when it may be excused is in deceiving certain sources during undercover investigations on an issue of public importance.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Strategic Powerhouses These names are inspired by women who lead with their minds, outmaneuvering everyone in the room.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Ian Terry won Big Brother season 14 at just 21 years old, becoming the show’s youngest champion after outmaneuvering veteran players with a quiet — but highly calculated — game.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The author is an entrepreneur and working on a book about overcoming betrayal.—
Emily Bryn Williams,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Two years ago, Romeo and her family celebrated her evolution as a performer after overcoming previous struggles.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Verb
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After killing Minnesota’s first power play, the Avalanche opened the scoring when defenseman Sam Malinski scored his first career playoff goal, fooling Wallstedt with a rising wrist shot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
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But anyone in the auto industry who didn’t feel like something was going to happen in China five years ago was fooling themselves.—
Jamie Lincoln Kitman,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outwitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitting. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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