psych out
Shake their confidence
To psych out someone is to intimidate or unnerve them through psychological tactics, undermining their confidence before a competition or confrontation: He tried to psych me out before the match with trash talk.
The goal is to gain advantage by getting inside an opponent's head.
You can also psych yourself out—overthinking until you sabotage your own performance: Don't psych yourself out before the interview.
Disturb someone's composure
- rattleShaking sound maker
- dauntDiscourage through fear
- cowFemale bovine
- overaweSubdue by inspiring dread
menace · frighten · bully · threaten · dominate · browbeat · badger · heckle
Cause unease or anxiety
- disconcertDisturb composure or poise
- flusterAgitated confusion
- perturbTo disturb deeply
- discomfitCause unease or embarrassment
dismay · confuse · disturb · rattle · shake · faze · disorient · bewilder
Calculated false front
- feintDeceptive mock attack
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
ruse · ploy · gambit · head games · gamesmanship · subterfuge · misdirection · decoy
Defeat through superior tactics
- outthinkDefeat through superior reasoning
- outwitBeat through superior cunning
- outplayDefeat through superior performance
- foolUnwise, gullible person
trick · deceive · mislead · bamboozle · dupe · con · swindle · hoodwink
One who contends against
- rivalOne who competes against
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- matchupScheduled competitive pairing
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
face-off · duel · contest · game · playoffs · championship · tournament · pregame
unnerve
Disturb someone's composure
overawe · menace · frighten · bully · threaten · dominate · browbeat · badger · heckle · stare down
unsettle
Cause unease or anxiety
- disconcertDisturb composure or poise
- flusterAgitated confusion
- perturbTo disturb deeply
discomfit · dismay · confuse · disturb · rattle · shake · faze · disorient · bewilder · throw off
bluff
Calculated false front
- feintDeceptive mock attack
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
deception · ruse · ploy · gambit · head games · gamesmanship · subterfuge · misdirection · decoy · distraction
outmaneuver
Defeat through superior tactics
- outthinkDefeat through superior reasoning
- outwitBeat through superior cunning
- outplayDefeat through superior performance
fool · trick · deceive · mislead · bamboozle · dupe · con · swindle · hoodwink · sucker
opponent
One who contends against
- rivalOne who competes against
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- matchupScheduled competitive pairing
showdown · face-off · duel · contest · game · playoffs · championship · tournament · pregame · locker room
- mind gamesmind game, head game, head games, mind games, intimidation
- sport psychologymental toughness, flow state, self-talk, concentration, confidence
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- tacticsmaneuver, counter-attack, gambit, ambush, counterstrike
- tauntstaunts, taunt, taunting, neener neener, insults
- trickerytrick, deceive, mislead, hoax, ruse
psych outstay calm
Remain unruffled
keep cool · hold steady · stay focused · collect oneself · steel oneself
psych outplay it straight
Behave honestly, without guile
play fair · physical confrontation · play by the rules · square up
out, psychic, psyche, psyched, psychology, psych, psyching, psychs, outpsyched