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
To take back her freedom, Sara builds alliances and hunts for ways to outsmart the devices monitoring her dreams.
—
Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
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
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
Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2025
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
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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Scott was originally set to headline the fest in 2020 before the pandemic thwarted those plans.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
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More than a dozen state attorneys general also have sued TikTok, alleging last year that the company deceived users about its child safety tools and deployed harmful features to keep children on the platform longer to maximize profits.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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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For many of these mid-majors, this results in a talent drain that is difficult to overcome.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Japan, outfoxed by the stealthy maneuverer in the White House, had to recede.—
Robert W. Merry,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Mar. 2025
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The governor’s better posture would be to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outfoxing Trump.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest people when tackling many complex topics.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outsmart. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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