one-upmanship
noun
one-up·man·ship
ˌwən-ˈəp-mən-ˌship 
variants
or less commonly one-upsmanship
: the art or practice of outdoing or keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor
engaged in a round of verbal one-upmanship
Examples of one-upmanship in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This one-upmanship obscured testimony on how many games reproduced—rather than created—society’s sexist and racist ideals.
—
Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Still practicing the Gershwin standard and learning to do less in order to do more – that is, creating something richer for collaboration rather than one-upmanship.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
That didn't stop Sigma from engaging in some one-upmanship, with its 135mm F1.4 DG Art ($1,899) that focuses in an instant and features a brighter optical formula that excels in tough light and blurs backgrounds into nothing.
—PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
But in the Trump era of flashy braggadocio and chest-thumping one-upmanship, Newsom is fighting fire with fire.
—Matt K. Lewis, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2025
In a field known for competitive one-upmanship, this seemed more a joyous rap party.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 24 Aug. 2025
To claim the mantle of perfectionism can become a game of one-upmanship.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
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Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Still practicing the Gershwin standard and learning to do less in order to do more – that is, creating something richer for collaboration rather than one-upmanship.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
That didn't stop Sigma from engaging in some one-upmanship, with its 135mm F1.4 DG Art ($1,899) that focuses in an instant and features a brighter optical formula that excels in tough light and blurs backgrounds into nothing.
—PC Magazine, 9 Sep. 2025
But in the Trump era of flashy braggadocio and chest-thumping one-upmanship, Newsom is fighting fire with fire.
—Matt K. Lewis, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2025
In a field known for competitive one-upmanship, this seemed more a joyous rap party.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 24 Aug. 2025
To claim the mantle of perfectionism can become a game of one-upmanship.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“One-upmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-upmanship. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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