outfox en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˌaʊtˈfɑks/
- /ˌaʊtˈfɒks/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *ūt- Old English ūt- Middle English ut- English out- Proto-Indo-European *púḱsos Proto-Germanic *fuhsaz Old English fox Middle English fox English fox English outfox From out- + fox.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To 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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| outfoxed | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| outfoxed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| outfoxes | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| outfoxing | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
outmaneuver · overreach · outwit · outthink · outslick · outguess