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
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
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
She favors installing parental controls, even though wily children can outwit them, on grounds that some thwarting is better than none at all.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Unlike Harry and co, who would perform hair-raising manoeuvres while soaring through the air on broomsticks, real-life players try to outwit their opponents astride PVC pipes.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2025
Armed with their new knowledge, the team hopes to outwit bacteria by cutting off multiple pathways.
From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2024
They’ll need to outwit him, first and foremost, and they prove that they can.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024
He built and ran an intelligence operation that helped him outwit his foe and win the war.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
