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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outsmart
In each of these cases, a tech company outsmarted a human—or several—either by producing text convincing enough to pass the smell test, or by creating and marketing a service that convinced a writer to offload part of their labor.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
There’s no outsmarting capitalism.
—Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 1 Apr. 2026
These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Predicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
James Folta, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
There’s no outsmarting capitalism.
—Kyle Cheromcha, The Drive, 1 Apr. 2026
These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Predicting mosquito behavior is a first step toward outsmarting them.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for outsmart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outsmart
Verb
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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
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Bob Markle was good at outwitting violators.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Frey unleashed his five-pitch arsenal, thwarting the Spartans most of the way.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Russia’s defense ministry said its paramilitary forces helped thwart a coup.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Iran has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to exploit the rhythms of American politics — election cycles, media pressures, bureaucratic fragmentation — to delay, confuse, and outmaneuver counterparts.—
Gaurav Srivastava,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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Krüger trained Filou to test out a working theory that seals use their whiskers to outmaneuver fish trying to escape them.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This intent to deceive constituents has been obvious since February.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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Rashid deceived Padikkal with a perfect googly while Kohli dragged jason Holder’s slower ball onto his stumps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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In large part because the only feeling more satisfying than defeating your enemies is that of defeating your friends.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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How Disney’s founder, namesake, and first CEO overcame the crisis of his day may give D’Amaro a blueprint for his.—
Roland Betancourt,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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But even more inspiring was their determination to overcome enormous losses and difficulties to try to make new lives for themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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But even foxes can outfox themselves by their own designs.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Lauren Weisberger published the novel in 2003 after serving as Anna Wintour's personal assistant at Vogue for a year, and the roman à clef fooled no one—least of all anyone who'd ever ridden the elevator at 4 Times Square and emerged spiritually altered.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
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The Angels weren’t fooled by his cutter and slurve.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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