as in defeated
to get the better of through cleverness
a plan to outwit their opponents at their own game
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Recent Examples of outwitted
The Rams, seeded 11th, caused an average of 22 turnovers per game with its full-court trapping defense and outwitted everyone in their run from First Four to Final Four.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
Probst, who grew up in the Seattle area and started his career here, is synonymous with the show that’s outlasted (and outwitted, and outplayed) any TV counterpart.
—Paige Cornwell, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Maduro has in any case outwitted dozens of attempts to depose him over the years.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
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
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
Probst, who grew up in the Seattle area and started his career here, is synonymous with the show that’s outlasted (and outwitted, and outplayed) any TV counterpart.
—Paige Cornwell, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Maduro has in any case outwitted dozens of attempts to depose him over the years.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outwitted
Verb
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It was defeated on a straight party-line vote, and our highly ideological legislature kept the gap between Title IX and Colorado law unresolved.—
Lisa Frizell,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
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In the men’s final Monday, Connecticut and Michigan will play for the national championship after both roundly defeated their opponents in the semifinals.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The struggle resonated with parents on Reddit, many of whom admitted they have been outsmarted by their own baby gear.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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In each of these cases, a tech company outsmarted a human—or several—either by producing text convincing enough to pass the smell test, or by creating and marketing a service that convinced a writer to offload part of their labor.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Klipsch Austin Portable Bluetooth Speaker Deal Don't be deceived by the small Klipsch Austin portable speaker.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Svetlana Petriychuk wrote the play Finist, the Brave Falcon, based on real events, about Russian women deceived into marrying ISIS fighters and traveling to Syria.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Both problems also thwarted Artemis I, whose capsule returned with excessive heat shield damage.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The livestream had originally been scheduled for April 1, but clouds thwarted the view.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The ferocity of their scenes together, aided by Arias’ devoted yet outmaneuvered Thea, sets the production ablaze with erotic danger.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
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Paramount, which was outmaneuvered by Netflix last December, has received a warmer response from WBD this week and the two media companies are continuing to negotiate.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some commenters on social media said they were nearly fooled, but others compared the all-white design to certain plates manufactured years ago that are prone to peeling.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by the casual, conveyor belt setup; diners rave about its excellent quality and freshness.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Liv Morgan begged for a tag, but she was outfoxed by a blind tag from Rhea Ripley.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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No doubt remained that I’d been outfoxed.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly's snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outwitted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outwitted. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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