outshine
Americanverb (used with object)
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to surpass in shining; shine more brightly than.
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to surpass in splendor, ability, achievement, excellence, etc..
a product that outshone all competitors; to outshine one's classmates.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to shine more brightly than
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(tr) to surpass in excellence, beauty, wit, etc
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rare (intr) to emit light
Etymology
Origin of outshine
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.
In the new normal, black gold may outshine the original.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
It felt as if the smaller Anthropic was on the ascent, threatening to outshine OpenAI.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
This overwhelming brightness allows quasars to outshine their host galaxies and makes them visible to telescopes across vast cosmic distances.
From Science Daily • Dec. 27, 2025
Goals grab the headlines, so given Ethan's position is a midfielder he is unlikely to outshine his brother in that department.
From BBC • Oct. 5, 2025
For as far as I can see, the ocean lights up, like it’s trying to outshine the starry night above.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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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.