outsmart

verb

out·​smart ˌau̇t-ˈsmärt How to pronounce outsmart (audio)
outsmarted; outsmarting; outsmarts

transitive verb

: to get the better of
especially : outwit

Examples of outsmart in a Sentence

The government must gather large amounts of information in order to outsmart its enemies. an inexpensive security system that would likely be outsmarted by anyone with a serious interest in circumventing it
Recent Examples on the Web From top down, what country will let itself be outsmarted by another? Clem Chambers, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The character is at once a vision of strength, demonstrating her superiority by outsmarting the men around her, and the punchline of some of the film’s crudest humor. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2024 Police believed the perpetrators were the yakuza, who were irked by Itami’s portrayal of them as witless bullies outsmarted by a cunning attorney (played by Itami’s actress wife Nobuko Miyamoto, who starred in all of his films) in Minbo. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 22 Dec. 2023 Two weeks before his scheduled execution, the outlaw outsmarted the law. Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 23 Nov. 2023 The screenwriting duo combine the slapstick comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain with the zany antics of Road Runner and Bugs Bunny cartoons in a 19th-century cracked fable about a cider entrepreneur turned furrier trying to outsmart a pack of much brighter beavers and rabbits. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 This is wood in its most balanced state—overcoming obstacles with flexibility, outsmarting challenges with cleverness, and pushing through with sheer determination. Leila Milgrim, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 Since the 1950s, cancer researchers have been seeking a way to dial up the body’s immune system, which naturally tries to fight cancer but is outsmarted by it, to attack tumor cells. Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 Photo: gonzalo fuentes/Reuters For cybersecurity leaders, generative artificial intelligence evokes hopes of outsmarting relentless hackers, on one hand, and fears of security staff being replaced by the tech on the other. Kim S. Nash, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'outsmart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of outsmart was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near outsmart

Cite this Entry

“Outsmart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outsmart. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

outsmart

verb
out·​smart (ˈ)au̇t-ˈsmärt How to pronounce outsmart (audio)
: outwit

More from Merriam-Webster on outsmart

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