as in to outwit
to get the better of through cleverness
an inexpensive security system that would likely be outsmarted by anyone with a serious interest in circumventing it
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Recent Examples of outsmart
The plot might seem repetitive, going back and forth between Violet trying to follow the anonymous rules and worming her way out of them to seek help (only to be outsmarted), but the movie’s exciting, stage-like formal flourishes and its disorienting lensing keep things moving smoothly.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Whether or not the owner can outsmart her snack-savvy puppy remains to be shared on their profile.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Companies may never be able to outsmart hackers or outmaneuver human error.
—Karthik Sj, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
But in this sweaty, smoky shootout, filmed in 100-degree Louisiana weather, Terry outsmarts rather than outmuscles, and outmaneuvers rather than outshoots.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Whether or not the owner can outsmart her snack-savvy puppy remains to be shared on their profile.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Companies may never be able to outsmart hackers or outmaneuver human error.
—Karthik Sj, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
But in this sweaty, smoky shootout, filmed in 100-degree Louisiana weather, Terry outsmarts rather than outmuscles, and outmaneuvers rather than outshoots.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmart
Verb
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Virgil van Dijk got outwitted by the combative Rodrigo Muniz for Fulham’s third.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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Children outwitting their parents in the technology stakes is clearly rife.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Our favorite bike locks for every ride, including new locks designed to thwart angle grinders.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
9 Apr. 2025
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Tanya and Greg were Season 2’s returning characters, and the season ended with Tanya accidentally dying while trying to thwart a murder plot, apparently arranged by Greg’s associates.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But as, as the brilliant evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller notes, our capacities to judge competence have evolved, so too have our capacities to deceive others about it.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In his first defense of the IBF crown, Ennis defeated David Avanesyan when the fight was halted before the start of the sixth round.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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The Kings defeated the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the play-in tournament before losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in a game that would have sent them to the playoffs as the No.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Republicans will need Democratic support to overcome a 60-vote threshold to be able to pass the bill in the Senate.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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After Republicans in the House and Senate had forged ahead on their own budget blueprints earlier this year, the Senate on Saturday adopted the compromise resolution, giving the House just days to overcome opposition and get it over the finish line before the recess.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the most iconic scene, he gets outfoxed on the subway by the French drug lord on a subway, playing cat-and-mouse on the platform.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2025
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Ultimately, the most challenging part of a campaign for Crimea may not be outfoxing Russia.—
Andriy Zagorodnyuk,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Jan. 2023
Verb
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That attempt was soon fooled by sloppy play in the neutral zone that gave Brad Marchand a short-handed opportunity.—
Nick Ashbourne,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
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But don't let the name fool you, Murderbot isn't actually the frightening story of a dangerous security robot.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And if this isn’t an isolated incident, then this presents a huge problem for the remnants of humanity, most of whom have survived through a mixture of luck and simply being able to outthink these single-minded creatures.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps the shape rotators are convinced that computers can outthink us because their own minds are so impoverished.—
Becca Rothfeld,
Washington Post,
26 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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