To defeat someone or solve a problem by being cleverer or more clever than they are.
Modern English compound: 'out-' (exceeding or surpassing) plus 'smart' (intelligent). This is a 20th-century word formed from the pattern of words like 'outrun' or 'outplay.'
Outsmart follows the same pattern as outrun or outplay—'out-' means you're doing it better than someone else! It's the vocabulary of competition where being smarter is the weapon.
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