outsmart
Americanverb (used with object)
idioms
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has outsmartedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have outsmartedperfect
-
are outsmartingprogressive
-
has been outsmartingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been outsmartingperfect progressive
-
am outsmartingprogressive 1st person singular
-
outsmartingparticiple
-
is outsmartingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
outsmartssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had outsmartedperfect
-
outsmartedsimple
-
outsmartedparticiple
-
had been outsmartingperfect progressive
-
was outsmartingprogressive singular
-
were outsmartingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of outsmart
Explanation
When you outsmart someone, you use your cleverness or intelligence to defeat them in some way. The roadrunner will always outsmart the coyote, at least according to Saturday morning cartoons. When two countries are negotiating with each other, they're often each trying to outsmart the other — to maneuver in a way that gives them the better deal. A game of chess is all about which player can strategize better, or who can outsmart their opponent. And classic TV detectives use their wit to outsmart the bad guys by the end of each episode.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More broadly, firms have ploughed ahead with AI development - including of "superintelligence" they believe could outsmart humans - while warning of its detrimental impact to some areas of society.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
"Much depends on the military command but Mykhailo has a vision of how to outsmart the system."
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
This fourth sequel didn’t try to outsmart the classic Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker template.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025
And yet, in an era where MLB organizations are increasingly run by Ivy League whiz kids and their armies of data wonks, Dombrowski continues to outsmart the rest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
So far, no brat or bureaucrat had ever been able to outsmart her.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
