outthink

American  

[out-thingk] / ˌaʊtˈθɪŋk /

verb (used with object)

outthought, outthinking

1. to excel in thinking; think; think faster, more accurately, or more perceptively than.

   outthinking most of her contemporaries in the field of human relations.

2. to get the advantage of (someone) by quick or clever thinking; think; outwit.

   only a split second to outthink his opponent.

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outthink British  

/ ˌaʊtˈθɪŋk /

verb

1. to outdo in thinking

2. to outwit

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Etymology

Origin of outthink

First recorded in 1695–1705; out- + think ¹

Example Sentences

OpenAI was founded to pursue artificial general intelligence, broadly defined as being able to outthink humans at almost all tasks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

“You’ve got to get in there and outwork them, outthink them, outperform them,” Dennis had told his son, “until there’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that you should be in there.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2024

In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Puchai predicted the technology underlying Gemini Advanced will be able to outthink even the smartest people when tackling many complex topics.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2024

It was fun watching the Richmond coaching staff trying to figure out how to outthink how Nate would inevitably outthink them.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2023

“She could outthink him. She was smarter than him, always two steps ahead of him,” Nanci recalls.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel