outfox

/ˈaʊtˌfɑks/

Other forms: outfoxed; outfoxing; outfoxes

To outfox someone is to defeat them at something using quick thinking or sneaky tricks. Some of the most popular fictional detectives cleverly outfox their foes.

You can attempt to outfox your opponent at poker using tricky strategies and bluffs. A political candidate can also try to outfox a rival, either through smart debate tactics or sneakier, more underhanded means. Outfox has been used in this way since the 1930s, from the old-fashioned verb fox, "to delude or deceive," which stems from the idea (popular in folklore) of foxes being wily or tricky.

Definitions of outfox

1. verb

   beat through cleverness and wit
   “She outfoxed her competitors”

   synonyms: beat, circumvent, outsmart, outwit, overreach

   beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish

   come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

   type of:

   exceed, outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount, surpass

   be or do something to a greater degree
2. verb

   outdo someone in trickery
   type of:

   exceed, outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surmount, surpass

   be or do something to a greater degree