one-upped; one-upping; one-ups
: to practice one-upmanship on
always trying to one-up each other by buying the latest gadgets
: being in a position of advantage
—usually used with on
He finished his assignment early, which put him one up on me.
Examples of one-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Later in the day, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will try to one-up her as the most radical mayor in the US by burning two Old Glories in Times Square.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The country’s biggest entertainment spectacle, watched by 127 million last year, will only be one-upped by the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most popular tournament paying a visit a few months later, making for an unprecedented upcoming year of sporting events in the Bay Area — or anywhere.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
During one scene, Claire — in a desperate attempt to one-up a neighbor (Joan Chen), who gifted her a three-wick candle — shoplifts from Crate & Barrel and is chased through the mall and parking lot by an army of security guards.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
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Verb
In soccer, countries and cities bid to host the Champions League and World Cup finals; the Olympics changes every four years and even the Super Bowl in the NFL moves around the United States, with cities and franchises trying to one-up one another.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Later in the day, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will try to one-up her as the most radical mayor in the US by burning two Old Glories in Times Square.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The country’s biggest entertainment spectacle, watched by 127 million last year, will only be one-upped by the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most popular tournament paying a visit a few months later, making for an unprecedented upcoming year of sporting events in the Bay Area — or anywhere.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
During one scene, Claire — in a desperate attempt to one-up a neighbor (Joan Chen), who gifted her a three-wick candle — shoplifts from Crate & Barrel and is chased through the mall and parking lot by an army of security guards.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-up. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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