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

Fedora on head, bullwhip in hand, mind racing a mile a minute to outthink hot-on-his-heels pursuers, he’s very much the Indy of old.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

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

Allison Janney has spent much of her career playing women who can outthink and outtalk just about anyone.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2022

“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