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one–upmanship

play
noun one–up·man·ship \ˌwən-ˈəp-mən-ˌship\
variants: or less commonly

one–upsmanship

play \ˌwən-ˈəps-mən-ˌship\

Definition of one–upmanship

  1. :  the art or practice of outdoing or keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor engaged in a round of verbal one–upmanship

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First Known Use of one–upmanship

1952

ONE–UPMANSHIP Defined for English Language Learners

one-upmanship

play
noun

Definition of one–upmanship for English Language Learners

  • : behavior in which someone tries to get an advantage by doing, saying, or having better things than someone else

Learn More about one–upmanship

  1. See words that rhyme with one–upmanship

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