Thesaurus results for OUTWIT

outwit

verb

ˌau̇t-ˈwit

Definition of outwit

as in to outsmart

to get the better of through cleverness a plan to outwit their opponents at their own game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 outwit Watch crafty servant Scapin spin outrageous webs of disguise and deception to help a band of young lovers outwit their impossibly miserly fathers. — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026 Similar storm-clouds are now gathering around Sánchez, a canny politician known for outwitting his opponents. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 21 June 2026 Out of the first 3,000 participants, only three adults managed to outwit the kids and win the million-dollar grand prize. — Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 The Bed Rot Challenge is a new reality competition web series in which stars from Survivor, The Traitors, Love Island USA, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Bachelorette, and Beast Games will attempt to outwit and outlast each other… on a bed. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for outwit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwit

Verb

The incident has been viewed as a warning sign for how AI models are learning to outsmart their human creators.

— Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2026
But his efforts to outsmart the bond market – the deepest and most important market on the planet – have not lived up to the hype.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of outsmart

Verb

Kettling was popularized in the 1990s, when activists started using information technologies to outmaneuver police attempting to disperse their protests.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ coach who doubles as McVay’s friend, mentor and nemesis, outmaneuvered McVay again.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of outmaneuver

Verb

Monroe thwarted Giulia’s attempt at a move from the top turnbuckle.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
In last Friday’s episode of the Outlander prequel, written by Toni Graphia and directed by Azhur Saleem, Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) rallies the women of her clan to thwart a surprise attack on Castle Leoch.

— Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of thwart

Verb

But 3-0 marks can be deceiving heading into a battle of unbeatens at home against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026
Boulder County accused the fossil fuel companies of deceiving the general public about the dangers of their oil and gas operations and the associated greenhouse gas emissions through their advertising and marketing.

— Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of deceive

Verb

However, the proposal faces a steep procedural obstacle in the Senate, where most legislation needs 60 votes to invoke cloture and overcome a filibuster.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
To overcome this, scientists are exploring optical wireless communication options that can complement radio frequencies.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Across two seasons packed with twisty machinations, Jung’s virtuous prosecutor Jang Geon-young attempted to pin down Hyun’s shamelessly corrupt — but effortlessly cool — intelligence officer Baek Ki-tae, only to be outfoxed at every turn.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Gauff dug in, matched Badosa’s power, and outfoxed her when the opportunities arose.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of outfox

Verb

In April 1943, Operation Mincemeat used a corpse carrying fake invasion plans to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies would strike Greece rather than Sicily.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
But don’t be fooled by the fluidity, the tablet itself isn’t paper (or even E Ink).

— Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of fool

Browse Nearby Words

outweighs

outwit

outwits

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Outwit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwit. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of outwit

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes