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
But whereas that world could be characterized, at times, by macho one-upmanship that felt almost bloodthirsty, Esperantists like Jurobola were committed to a hazy vision of peace.
—
Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
The visit, meant to establish stability after a decade of trade wars and acrimonious one-upmanship, instead highlighted how the balance of power is tipping away from Washington.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
No one wants to be abrupt and just hang up, but there might also be some one-upmanship lurking below the surface.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
What proceeds is an escalating pattern of one-upmanship and sabotage, with each trying to best the other for personal reasons more than professional ones.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of recent statutes, executive actions, and regulations seem to play a game of one-upmanship in which states try to find ways to be even more cruel.
—Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The drone displays and Minion cameos and technological one-upmanship that has defined this event in the 2020s were not the focus this time.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Feb. 2026
Choose kindness over cleverness, warmth over wit, empathy over one-upmanship.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
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Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
The visit, meant to establish stability after a decade of trade wars and acrimonious one-upmanship, instead highlighted how the balance of power is tipping away from Washington.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
No one wants to be abrupt and just hang up, but there might also be some one-upmanship lurking below the surface.
—Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026
Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
What proceeds is an escalating pattern of one-upmanship and sabotage, with each trying to best the other for personal reasons more than professional ones.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of recent statutes, executive actions, and regulations seem to play a game of one-upmanship in which states try to find ways to be even more cruel.
—Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
The drone displays and Minion cameos and technological one-upmanship that has defined this event in the 2020s were not the focus this time.
—Judy Berman, Time, 7 Feb. 2026
Choose kindness over cleverness, warmth over wit, empathy over one-upmanship.
—Glenn Kurlander, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-upmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-upmanship. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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