outwit
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
to get the better of by cunning or ingenuity
-
archaic to be of greater intelligence than
Etymology
Origin of outwit
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.
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
Armed with their new knowledge, the team hopes to outwit bacteria by cutting off multiple pathways.
From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2024
A few months later, she was sent off for Land Girl training, where Ron visited her and sent her coded letters in an attempt to outwit her mother.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2024
“He thought he was the smartest guy in the room and he could outwit any prosecutor and win over the jury. It obviously didn’t work out in his favor.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2024
She put baby clear sky light to outwit the day light on her eyelids and touched bandit to her throat, earlobes, and wrists.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
Definitions 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.
