one-upped; one-upping; one-ups
: to practice one-upmanship on
: being in a position of advantage
—usually used with on
Examples of one-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
But Hoover remains locked up on state charges in Illinois — handing Trump an opportunity to one-up his Democratic rivals.
—Jeremy Busby, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Each year, she's kept her costume a secret until the grand reveal on the red carpet — and it's become a trend for her to one-up her previous looks.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
But nothing so far has counted as the equivalent of that scene or an attempt to one-up that scene.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
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Verb
The old girl one-upped a 42-year-old trout found in 1998 in Lake Superior.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
But Hoover remains locked up on state charges in Illinois — handing Trump an opportunity to one-up his Democratic rivals.
—Jeremy Busby, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Each year, she's kept her costume a secret until the grand reveal on the red carpet — and it's become a trend for her to one-up her previous looks.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
But nothing so far has counted as the equivalent of that scene or an attempt to one-up that scene.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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