outflanking
Bypassing the sides
Outflanking is moving around the side of an enemy position to gain tactical advantage—attacking where defenses are weakest.
The term comes from military strategy but applies broadly to any maneuver that bypasses opposition rather than confronting it directly: The company outflanked its competitors by targeting an underserved market.
To outflank is to outsmart through positioning.
Surrounding enemy forces completely
- pincerGrasping claw organ
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
- envelopmentAct of surrounding completely
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
feint · siege · assault · reconnaissance · infantry · artillery · battalion · guerrilla
Route that skirts obstacles
workaround · detour · circumnavigate · dodge · elude · finesse · outmaneuver
Deliberate tactical movement
- positioningArranging in specific locations
- tacticalStrategically planned
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
- infiltrationCovert entry into organization
covert · stealth · diversion · feint · raid · sabotage · countermove · gambit
Those who compete
- opponentsThose who compete against
- contendersThose seeking to win
- marketplaceVenue for commerce
- overtakePass while moving faster
outpace · outperform · leapfrog · edge · advantage · positioning · disrupt · undercut
encirclement
Surrounding enemy forces completely
- pincerGrasping claw organ
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
- envelopmentAct of surrounding completely
ambush · feint · siege · assault · reconnaissance · infantry · artillery · battalion · guerrilla · skirmish
bypass
Route that skirts obstacles
avoid · workaround · detour · circumnavigate · dodge · elude · finesse · outmaneuver
maneuver
Deliberate tactical movement
- positioningArranging in specific locations
- tacticalStrategically planned
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
infiltration · covert · stealth · diversion · feint · raid · sabotage · countermove · gambit · ploy
rivals
Those who compete
- opponentsThose who compete against
- contendersThose seeking to win
- marketplaceVenue for commerce
overtake · outpace · outperform · leapfrog · edge · advantage · positioning · disrupt · undercut · blindside
exceed
Go past a limit
outstrip · outpace · outperform · outshine · outclass · transcend · best · trump · outdistance · outrun
- tacticsmaneuver, counter-attack, gambit, ambush, counterstrike
- combat tacticsambush, feint, skirmish, firefight, counterattack
- military tacticstactics, maneuver, ambush, battle formations, combat maneuvers
- movement tacticsretreat, advance, charge, encirclement, ambush
- Reversi/OthelloReversi, final score
- cavalry tacticscavalry charge, cavalry charges, cavalry raids, hit and run, encirclement
outflankingfrontal assault
Attack from the front
direct attack · storming · charging · standing ground · ahead
outflankingretreating
Moving back from advance
falling back · withdrawing · entrenching · digging in · losing ground
flank, flanking, outflank, flanked, flanker, outflanked, outflanks