outfox

O1U1T1F4O1X8
UK/ˌaʊtˈfɒks//ˌaʊtˈfɑks/

verb

To beat (someone) in a competition of wits with superior cleverness or cunning; to outsmart.

Similar
outwitoutthinkoutmaneuveroutguessoutslickoverreachoutsmartbeat
OriginEnglish fox ← Middle English fox ← Old English fox →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

verboutfox (third-person singular simple present outfoxes, present participle outfoxing, simple past and past participle outfoxed)

present singular third person outfoxes · participle present outfoxing · participle past outfoxed · past outfoxed

  1. transitiveTo beat (someone) in a competition of wits with superior cleverness or cunning; to outsmart.

    You can win games in two ways. You either outtalent and outmuscle your opponent because you have all the big, fast studs, or you outfox, outplot, and outmaneuver your opponent because you have a system that your opponents can't prepare for in one week.

    2002, The Football Coaching Bible, page 145

    Synonyms: outwit, outthink, outmaneuver, outguess, outslick, overreach

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo beat (someone) in a competition of wits with superior cleverness or cunning; to outsmart.

Similar
outwitoutthinkoutmaneuveroutguessoutslickoverreach

More synonyms by meaning

verbbeat through cleverness and wit

Similar
outwitoverreachoutsmartbeatcircumventbeat outcrush
Broader
surpassoutstripoutmatch
Also see
bafflebeatcircumventconvincedefeateat someone for breakfasteat someone's lunchflogmalavoguemurdelizeoutguessoutsmartoutwitoverreachrapereducetrounce

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úd
  2. Proto-Germanic*ūt
  3. Proto-Germanic*ūt-
  4. Old Englishūt-
  5. Middle Englishut-
  6. Englishout-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*púḱsos
  8. Proto-Germanic*fuhsaz
  9. Old Englishfox
  10. Middle Englishfox
  11. Englishfox
  12. Englishoutfox

From out- + fox.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with outfox

foxstockscocksdocscoxsoxsocksoxdocksjockspoxoutboxphloxdoxproxBoxxbreadboxchicken poxdoxxolive boxout of the boxswift fox
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

outfox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outfox

MLA

“outfox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outfox. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “outfox,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/outfox.

Source: outfox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.