be outmaneuvered

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "be outmaneuvered" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where someone is skillfully defeated or outsmarted by another person, often in a competitive context. Example: "In the final moments of the game, the opposing team managed to be outmaneuvered, leading to our unexpected victory."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

Renzi showing some Machiavellian toughness is not necessarily a bad thing: the left has generally shown an excessive preoccupation with procedure and allowed itself to be outmaneuvered and outmuscled by the center-right.

The New Yorker

Without a free, fair and open internet, proponents of urgent struggles for justice will be outmaneuvered and outpaced by their political opponents, by the power-brokers and reactionaries of the status quo.

The Guardian - Tech

But as long as atheists remain diffuse and disorganized, we'll be outmaneuvered and outmuscled by religious sects that do move in lockstep and can exert pressure on politicians with no one to counterbalance them.

The Guardian - Opinion

Eager not to be outmaneuvered, the union, Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers, has its own pressure tactics, including putting up picket lines with the hope of slowing, and maybe even stopping, the Modern's ambitious $650 million expansion project.

The New York Times

Liberals said Thursday that they were ready for a fight with the health care industry and would not be outmaneuvered as they were in 1993-94, when President Bill Clinton's effort to guarantee insurance for every American collapsed.

The New York Times

But Mr. Deal knew of the accusations, which were first reported in August by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Unwilling to be outmaneuvered, the Office of Congressional Ethics — created in 2008 to serve as an independent ethics watchdog on Capitol Hill — decided by a 6-to-0 board vote on Friday to release its findings anyway.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

In 1620 they were outmaneuvered and defeated at the Battle of White Mountain, just west of Prague.

Encyclopedia Britannica

These Puritans were outmaneuvered, however, by those who favoured the strict episcopal pattern.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Strange handled a difficult defeat with class, but he was outmaneuvered by Sam Torrance, his European counterpart.

The New York Times - Sports

"Block was outmaneuvered," said Michael Millman of Millman Research Associates, a securities analysis firm.

The New York Times

The patriots were outmaneuvered, defeated, and suffered a total loss of 5,000 men, of whom 2,000 were captured.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "be outmaneuvered" when you want to emphasize that someone was defeated not by brute force, but by a more clever or strategic approach. It often implies a level of skill or planning on the part of the victor.

Common error

Don't use "be outmaneuvered" when the defeat was due to direct force or overwhelming power. This phrase is best reserved for situations where strategy and planning played a significant role in the outcome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "be outmaneuvered" functions as a passive verb phrase. It indicates that the subject of the sentence is acted upon, specifically, is overcome or defeated through strategic skill by another party. Ludwig examples show its use in describing political and military defeats.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "be outmaneuvered" is a grammatically sound passive verb phrase used to describe a situation where someone is strategically defeated or outwitted. As highlighted by Ludwig, it often implies a skillful approach by the victor rather than brute force. With a neutral to professional register, it's commonly found in News & Media, Encyclopedia and Wiki contexts. Alternatives like "be outsmarted" or "be outdone" offer simpler ways to express the concept, though they may lack the specific nuance of strategic defeat. Remember to reserve "be outmaneuvered" for instances where strategy and planning were key factors, ensuring accurate and impactful communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

be outsmarted

Emphasizes being overcome by superior intelligence or cunning.

be outdone

Highlights being surpassed or exceeded in performance or achievement.

be outflanked

Implies being surpassed by someone who goes around you.

be outwitted

Focuses on being defeated through cleverness or trickery.

be bested

Suggests being defeated or overcome by someone in a contest or competition.

be surpassed

Highlights being exceeded or outstripped in a particular aspect or area.

be trumped

Indicates being outdone by a decisive or superior action.

be foiled

Implies having one's plans or efforts thwarted or prevented from succeeding.

be checkmated

Relates to the final move in chess, but can be used metaphorically.

be circumvented

Focuses on being bypassed or avoided, often through skillful maneuvering.

FAQs

How can I use "be outmaneuvered" in a sentence?

You can use "be outmaneuvered" to describe situations where someone or something is defeated through strategy or cunning. For instance, "The smaller company managed to "be outmaneuvered" by the larger corporation due to its more agile business model."

What's a simple alternative to "be outmaneuvered"?

A simpler alternative could be "be outsmarted" which focuses on intelligence, or "be outdone" which generally means being surpassed.

Is it correct to say "being outmaneuvered"?

Yes, "being outmaneuvered" is grammatically correct. It's often used in continuous tenses to describe an ongoing process of strategic defeat, for example, "He was annoyed at "being outmaneuvered" by his opponent."

What's the difference between "be outmaneuvered" and "be defeated"?

"Be defeated" generally refers to any kind of loss, while "be outmaneuvered" specifies that the loss occurred due to a clever strategy or skillful maneuvering. To "be outmaneuvered" implies more than just losing; it suggests a strategic disadvantage.