as in outwitted
to get the better of through cleverness
the prisoners outfoxed the guards by tunneling beneath the prison walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of outfoxed
Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outfoxed
Verb
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Maduro has in any case outwitted dozens of attempts to depose him over the years.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Though Penn State had a key injury with linebacker Tony Rojas sidelined, Knowles was also outwitted by Neuheisel, who only took over the role for the Bruins earlier this week.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Coached by Mike Holmgren and led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle went 13-3 during the regular season and defeated Washington and Carolina in the playoffs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Celta defeated Rayo 3-0, but this was a match that is likely to be remembered for what happened off the pitch.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, ancient mythology is filled with examples of crafty foxes being outsmarted by their own traps.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
20 Jan. 2026
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However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Despite being outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Washington maintained order among his demoralized troops.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
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But he was outmaneuvered by a bipartisan groundswell of support from lawmakers and the public, and eventually dropped his opposition.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And don’t be deceived by Saturday’s sunny skies as the high will be 32 with wind chills as low as 9 degrees.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
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Challengers should give Marylanders the option to choose a new direction and remove the need to confront the painful reality that they were deceived.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Twice thwarted, Beth sighs, says yes, and gets on with the business of living.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
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This all-consuming love, thwarted in the book by circumstances, has flourished beyond its pages.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While everyone could be more easily fooled now, don’t be the one remembered for delivering bad intel.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by its petite, easy-to-carry silhouette, though, because the bag boasts plenty of space to stow your essentials and beyond.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bradshaw — who passed for 309 yards and overcame three interceptions with touchdown passes of 47 yards to Swann and 73 yards to Stallworth — was named MVP for the second straight year.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
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Malinin opened with a big quad flip, opted for a safer triple axel over his quad, and overcame a couple of mistakes along the way to finish with aplomb.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outfoxed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outfoxed. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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