outsmart

American

[out-smahrt] / ˌaʊtˈsmɑrt /

verb (used with object)

to get the better of (someone); outwit.

idioms

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

This time he may have outsmarted himself.

outsmart British

/ ˌaʊtˈsmɑːt /

verb

informal (tr) to get the better of; outwit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outsmart

1925–30; out- + smart (adj.)

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.

"Much depends on the military command but Mykhailo has a vision of how to outsmart the system."

From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026

It took 13-year-old Isobel less than five minutes to outsmart Australia's "world-leading" social media ban for children.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

This fourth sequel didn’t try to outsmart the classic Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker template.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

Priscilla Chan is making a multibillion-dollar wager to outsmart disease.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

“Remember, he’s fighting us. He’s on his guard. The only way we can catch him is to outsmart him—and, within his limitations, he can think much more quickly than a human being.”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023