outsmart

[out-smahrt]

verb (used with object)

1. to get the better of (someone); outwit.

outsmart

/ ˌaʊtˈsmɑːt /

verb

1. informal,  (tr) to get the better of; outwit

Word History and Origins

Origin of outsmart¹

1925–30; out- + smart (adj.)

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. outsmart oneself, to defeat oneself unintentionally by overly elaborate intrigue, scheming, or the like.

   This time he may have outsmarted himself.

Example Sentences

The inclination is understandable; computers could outsmart humans trying to pull scams and catch them, all without the added layer of a perpetual risk of human error.

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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.

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But it isn’t just people who can outsmart him.

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“I feel like we’re in one of those Sunday night dramas about two bright-eyed, feisty old lady detectives outsmarting the police at every turn.”

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In Sudan’s case, she has outsmarted the risk of succumbing to tradition, and the freedom has raised and mellowed all stakes.

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Related Words

• baffle 
• bamboozle 
• circumvent 
• deceive 
• outdo 
• outfox 
• outmaneuver