outshine

verb

out·​shine ˌau̇t-ˈshīn How to pronounce outshine (audio)
outshone ˌau̇t-ˈshōn How to pronounce outshine (audio)
 especially British  -ˈshän
or outshined; outshining

transitive verb

1
a
: to shine brighter than
b
: to excel in splendor or showiness
2
: outdo, surpass
outshone most of the other films in qualityKathleen Karr

intransitive verb

: to shine out

Examples of outshine in a Sentence

She outshines all the other actors in the film. the trumpeter outshines all of his fellow band members
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In that area, his peers were outshining him. Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025 When one-way tickets make sense There are clear situations where booking two one-way tickets outshines a traditional round-trip ticket. Lauren Dana Ellman, AFAR Media, 17 Sep. 2025 Mirai outshines new Hindi releases Karthik Gattamneni’s Mirai scored significantly better than all the Hindi films currently in theatres - including two fresh releases that released with the Telugu film. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Venus outshines the star by a factor of 120 to 1, and yet their proximity for several mornings intensifies the contrasting yellow-white of the planet and bluish white of the star. Joe Rao, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outshine

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of outshine was in 1585

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Cite this Entry

“Outshine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outshine. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

outshine

verb
out·​shine (ˈ)au̇t-ˈshīn How to pronounce outshine (audio)
outshone -ˈshōn How to pronounce outshine (audio) ; outshining
1
: to shine brighter than
2

More from Merriam-Webster on outshine

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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