outwit

American  

[out-wit] / ˌaʊtˈwɪt /

verb (used with object)

outwitted, outwitting

1. to get the better of by superior ingenuity or cleverness; outsmart.

   to outwit a dangerous opponent.

   Synonyms:

   finesse, outthink, outmaneuver, outfox, outguess

2. Archaic. to surpass in wisdom or knowledge.

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outwit British  

/ ˌaʊtˈwɪt /

verb

1. to get the better of by cunning or ingenuity

2. archaic to be of greater intelligence than

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Etymology

Origin of outwit

First recorded in 1645–55; out- + wit ¹

Explanation

Use the verb outwit to describe using your brain to beat an opponent, like outwitting someone by figuring out the answer to a difficult riddle. Wit comes from the Old English word witan, which means "to know." So someone who outwits another person knows more — or at least knows more than the person thought. You can outwit someone with clever words, or with craftiness on the playing field. An unexpected strategy can help one side outwit the other on the battlefield.

Example Sentences

The game, like the tagline, is the same: Outwit, outplay, outlast.

From New York Times • Mar. 8, 2017

In practice, though, it shifts the focus of the game from the titular survival to the show's motto, "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast."

From Salon • May 17, 2010

My early months with Sri Yukteswar culminated in a useful lesson-"How to Outwit a Mosquito."

From Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, Paramahansa

Outwit, owt-wit′, v.t. to surpass in wit or ingenuity: to defeat by superior ingenuity:—pr.p. outwit′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. outwit′ted.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Outwit the Meadow-Brook Girls three times in succession.

From The Meadow-Brook Girls Afloat by Aldridge, Janet

Related Words

• deceive
• outfox
• outmaneuver