outthink
Definition
Verb (transitive): To outthink means to think more quickly, more deeply, or more cleverly than someone else; to defeat or surpass someone through superior reasoning or mental agility.
Usage Examples
- (He used faster and more strategic thinking to win.)
- (She used superior reasoning to gain an advantage.)
- (He used clever thinking to outsmart the culprit.)
Advanced Usage
- "to outthink oneself": to overcomplicate a situation by thinking too much, leading to a mistake.
- He tried to outthink the simple puzzle but ended up confusing himself. (He overthought the problem and failed.)
Variants and Related Words
- Outthink (verb, past tense: outthought): the only standard form; no common adjective or noun forms exist.
Synonyms
- Outsmart: to defeat someone by being more intelligent or clever.
- Outwit: to gain an advantage over someone through cunning or quick thinking.
- Outmaneuver: to outthink someone in a strategic or tactical sense.
Phrasal Verbs
- Think through: to consider a problem carefully before acting (often used in the context of outthinking).
- She thought through all possible angles to outthink her rival. (She considered everything to gain a mental edge.)
Related Idioms
- Outfox someone: to outsmart or outthink someone, especially in a cunning way.
- The spy outfoxed the agents by outthinking their every move. (He used superior cleverness to evade capture.)
- Read someone's mind: to anticipate what someone is thinking, often to outthink them.
- To outthink him, you need to read his mind and predict his strategy. (You must anticipate his thoughts to gain an advantage.)