outwit
Americanverb (used with object)
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outwits,
present (3rd person singular)
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outwitted,
past participle, past
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outwitting
present participle
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to get the better of by superior ingenuity or cleverness; outsmart.
to outwit a dangerous opponent.
- Synonyms:
- finesse, outthink, outmaneuver, outfox, outguess
-
Archaic. to surpass in wisdom or knowledge.
verb
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to get the better of by cunning or ingenuity
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archaic to be of greater intelligence than
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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outwitsimple
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outwitssimple
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have outwittedperfect
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has outwittedperfect
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am outwittingprogressive
-
are outwittingprogressive
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is outwittingprogressive
-
have been outwittingperfect progressive
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has been outwittingperfect progressive
Past
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outwittedsimple
-
had outwittedperfect
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was outwittingprogressive
-
were outwittingprogressive
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had been outwittingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of outwit
Explanation
Use the verb outwit to describe using your brain to beat an opponent, like outwitting someone by figuring out the answer to a difficult riddle. Wit comes from the Old English word witan, which means "to know." So someone who outwits another person knows more — or at least knows more than the person thought. You can outwit someone with clever words, or with craftiness on the playing field. An unexpected strategy can help one side outwit the other on the battlefield.
Vocabulary lists containing outwit
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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.
See Examples For:
Maybe all the answers have already been written, and we’re just characters in a story, trying to outwit fate.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
At the Candidates, one opponent tried to lead Sindarov away from the common lines that grandmasters tend to study, hoping that he could outwit the 20-year-old in a battle of instinct and intellect, not memorization.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
But they are increasingly facing a crafty adversary: bacteria that mutate and adapt and outwit the very drugs designed to defeat them and cure the infections they cause.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2024
In 2000, millions tuned in to watch Richard Hatch outwit, outplay, and outlast his teammates and competitors to become the first Survivor.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2024
I have seen rabbits outwit foxes and watched red squirrels tease martens and get away with it, but this time it was not to be.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Still, Peter Falk’s formidable cigar-smoking detective serves as an inspiration for Elsbeth, with her intentionally disarming wardrobe, and how she outwits the murderer-of-the-week, played by a famous guest star.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024
He shot to fame in a popular television series “Servant of the People” in which he played an honest school teacher who is elected president and outwits crooked lawmakers and shadowy businessmen.
From Reuters ● Feb. 24, 2022
The much-loved story tells the tale of wily Mr Fox, who outwits farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2021
Like “Figaro,” “La Scuola” is a lyrical comedy involving jealous lovers of various classes, including a countess who outwits her philandering count.
From The New Yorker ● May 27, 2019
She turned her head to look at Ash and added, “She even outwits the Fairy Queen.”
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Exceptionally fortunate to escape after being outwitted by Cunha close to the goalline but stepped in to take the ball off Mbeumo as he looked to counter.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
For many, today's hardships only serve to highlight the absence of a leader who died a decade ago and is still seen as the wiley strategist who outwitted his American foes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
Peter Pomerantsev’s “How to Win an Information War” tells the story of Sefton Delmer, “the propagandist who outwitted Hitler.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Early cancer vaccine research faltered as cancer outwitted and outlasted patients’ weak immune systems, said Olja Finn, a vaccine researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
The presence of evil was something to be first recognized, then dealt with, survived, outwitted, triumphed over.
From "Sula" by Toni Morrison
The combined efforts of Adam, Barbara and Lydia are crucial to outwitting his schemes.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2024
Good news for those of us still seething over NBC’s 2012 cancellation of “Harry’s Law”: Kathy Bates is once again outwitting opposing counsel and her own colleagues in the upcoming “Matlock” from CBS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2024
Blackburn were eager not to become a plotline in future 'Welcome to Wrexham' episodes and quickly took control of the game, outwitting their opponents with slick passing and sharp movement to create several chances.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2024
Bletchley Park’s most famous feat was outwitting Germany’s Enigma encryption machine, which produced a constantly changing cipher and was widely considered unbreakable.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 31, 2023
But I felt confident of outwitting any bee.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
