one-up

1 of 2

verb

ˌwən-ˈəp 

ˈwən-

one-upped; one-upping; one-ups

transitive verb

: to practice one-upmanship on

always trying to one-up each other by buying the latest gadgets

one up

2 of 2

adjective

: 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

Verb

For those with sensitive ears, over the next week NBA media coverage will blast the one-year anniversary of the worst trade in the history of professional basketball, a deal that still could potentially one-up the Boston Red Sox sending Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Jan. 2026

Wilde delivers a pure-camp performance here, trying to one-up Miranda Priestly with her imperious workplace attitude, cover-girl eyeliner and droll line deliveries. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026

These two are constantly one-upping each other. —Torrey Hart, New York Times, 17 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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from one-upmanship

First Known Use

Verb

1963, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1919, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for one-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup