outmaneuver

verb

out·​ma·​neu·​ver ˌau̇t-mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər 

outmaneuvered; outmaneuvering

transitive verb

: to outdo, defeat, or gain an advantage over by skillful or clever maneuvering : to maneuver more effectively than

Battalions are especially important in desert warfare because they are powerful enough to deliver devastating blows … but small enough to sneak along ridges and valleys to outmaneuver larger forces.

—Bob Davis

… an amorally ambitious studio exec who disposes of a threatening screenwriter as coolly as he outmaneuvers a rival executive.

—Gregg Kilday

Sabre pilots learned that if they could force their adversaries to change direction rapidly, the Sabre could outmaneuver them.

—Fred Reed

Synonyms

• fox
• outfox
• outslick
• outsmart
• outthink
• outwit
• overreach

Examples of outmaneuver in a Sentence

outmaneuvered his congressional opponent by co-opting his call for change in Washington

Recent Examples on the Web

Use your imagination and creativity to outmaneuver anyone competitive. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

Each of the three branches of government, which should ideally provide checks and balances, sometimes appears to outmaneuver one another in a rock-paper-scissors dynamic. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

By enhancing checkpoint inhibitors or designing more resilient CAR T cells, scientists are unlocking fresh ways to outmaneuver solid tumors—one of the toughest challenges in oncology today. —William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

An open mind and acute sense of what’s necessary to achieve your goal will exceed the attempts others make to outmaneuver you. —Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

outmaneuver

verb

out·​ma·​neu·​ver

ˌau̇t-mə-ˈn(y)ü-vər

: to be more skillful or successful than in maneuvering