as in to outdo
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Recent Examples of one-up
Network correspondents scramble to one-up each other.
—
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Maybe to one-up John Cage and his infamous four minutes, thirty-three seconds of silence, Sun Ra had composed a piece for a band that never comes.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Gary subsequently attempts to one-up his brother by trying — and spectacularly failing — to flip off of the highest point on the set.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
During a performance, Boone does a flip and Stiller attempts to one-up him, jumping from increasingly higher platforms on stage to disastrous, but humorous, effect.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
Maybe to one-up John Cage and his infamous four minutes, thirty-three seconds of silence, Sun Ra had composed a piece for a band that never comes.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Gary subsequently attempts to one-up his brother by trying — and spectacularly failing — to flip off of the highest point on the set.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
During a performance, Boone does a flip and Stiller attempts to one-up him, jumping from increasingly higher platforms on stage to disastrous, but humorous, effect.
—Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
Verb
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Wendy's has never outdone McDonald's in size or sales, either, but since its start in 1969, the chain with the square patties and the shakes too thick to be called shakes has had as big an impact as any other on the ways fast food is defined and sold around the world.—
Bob Vitale,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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As rumors have flown about this relentless Sacramento parking enforcement officer, Nakamura has quietly patrolled the streets, outdoing himself.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The last of an era No one can outrun Father Time, but Swanson is doing his damndest one last time.—
Brian Martin,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
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Even when playing an actress from a ’90s sitcom directed by Jimmy Burrows, Kudrow is able to, against all odds, make viewers (or at least me) briefly forget about Phoebe Buffay, an otherwise unforgettable behemoth that would be impossible for any other actor to outrun.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Real wages are outpacing inflation?—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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Beauty’s digital marketing spend grew approximately 30 percent** annually between 2022 and 2025, significantly outpacing industry growth, yet returns are declining.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An open dialogue Brandon Dismel attended the forum to learn how to better the northwest sideof Baltimore, where his family lives.—
Dennis Valera,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Rose hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation, a total bettered by just three players in the field on Day 1.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Yapi created the opportunity by outracing Carlos Harvey down the left flank.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
11 Aug. 2025
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May was replaced by Anthony Banda, who was greeted with another two-run triple by Willy Adames (who had already homered to open the scoring in the second inning) and a run-scoring infield single from Lee, who outraced Banda to first base to punctuate a painfully long inning.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Driscoll has been seen by Hegseth’s aides as outshining the Defense secretary on prominent policy initiatives.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
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Like the Battle of the Alamo for Texans, this bloody spectacle is for regime-loyal Shia the defeat that outshines in glory any possible subsequent victory.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Denver’s record home opener made for a memorable debut on a grand stage, surpassing the 30,000 who attended Boston’s opener at Gillette Stadium two weeks prior, a turnout underscoring the surging popularity of the sport and highlighting the league’s potential.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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And every film nerd knows that the production’s depravity and delirium almost surpasses the film’s—Apocalypse Now’s Wikipedia page is as wild as the film itself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Big enough to hold all the essentials — wallet, sunglasses, and even a light layer — this purse will transcend seasons.—
Christina Shepherd McGuire,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Bernaugh says watching professionals transcend racial barriers and connect deeply to people's humanity will go a long way with these girls.—
Reg Chapman,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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