as in to outwit
to get the better of through cleverness
the prisoners outfoxed the guards by tunneling beneath the prison walls
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outfox
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
The governor’s better posture would be to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outfoxing Trump.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Situated in one of the game's smallest media markets, the Padres under General Manager A.J. Preller have spent lavishly and made a series of splashy acquisitions, but keep getting outfoxed by their upstate rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—David Faris, theweek, 5 Sep. 2024
Here, Shyamalan has similar intentions: His movie would be nothing without Hartnett’s serial killer outfoxing his pursuers, slipping past one security barrier after another, stealing access badges willy-nilly and engineering his daughter’s onstage appearance with her idol.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outfox
Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025
The governor’s better posture would be to concentrate on outmaneuvering and outfoxing Trump.
—David Greising, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Situated in one of the game's smallest media markets, the Padres under General Manager A.J. Preller have spent lavishly and made a series of splashy acquisitions, but keep getting outfoxed by their upstate rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—David Faris, theweek, 5 Sep. 2024
Here, Shyamalan has similar intentions: His movie would be nothing without Hartnett’s serial killer outfoxing his pursuers, slipping past one security barrier after another, stealing access badges willy-nilly and engineering his daughter’s onstage appearance with her idol.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outfox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outfox
Verb
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Maresca outwitted counterpart Eddie Howe, too, although will still be accused by the growing critics among the fanbase of adapting his tactics too late.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
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But Lord, let not the enemy outwit your purpose, outmaneuver your move.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Verb
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This led to residents trying to outsmart the clever birds by putting weights on the lids to prevent the cockatoos from digging through the trash.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 June 2025
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Perhaps it’s born of the arrogance of power, but they nevertheless continually get outsmarted on one of the few issues where the GOP can make headway.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The original show’s premise dealt with a demonic invasion being thwarted by plucky heroes in mystical samurai armor, which worked sort of like power armor.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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However, the package requires the backing of all EU members and could be thwarted by vetoes from Slovakia and Hungary, which are considered Moscow's closest allies in the EU.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Even children who are online only in small doses likely see false or inaccurate information that might deceive them.—
Evan Orticio,
Scientific American,
2 June 2025
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In November, Dove pleaded guilty in Gaston County to a dozen felony charges related to illegally accessing police computer systems and helping someone deceive a polygraph test, The Gaston Gazette reported.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
Verb
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His reign ended as another American emerged, Francis Ouimet, a mild-mannered amateur who defeated Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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That’s supposed to keep immigrant families safe and defeat Trump?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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But your brain might still seek patterns to overcome.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Yet soon one is overcome by Charles Laughton’s creepy, convincing portrayal of Captain Bligh’s sadomasochism: most of the first fifteen minutes is taken up with floggings and other shipboard disciplining of half-naked men, shown in detail while Laughton looks on with long-lipped lasciviousness.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The speech also tackled an issue that has foxed previous governments: reforming the House of Lords.—
Jill Lawless,
The Christian Science Monitor,
17 July 2024
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Raccoon: Raccoon is very similar to fox but rarely comes in any other colors besides that of a typical raccoon which is naturally ombré.—
Liana Satenstein,
Marie Claire,
13 Feb. 2014
Cite this Entry
“Outfox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outfox. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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