as in to outdo
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Recent Examples of one-up
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
They were locked in an aerial arms race, trying to one-up each other with more difficult tricks.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Sarah Whitten,sara Salinas,sarah Jackson,leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
They were locked in an aerial arms race, trying to one-up each other with more difficult tricks.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
Verb
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Not one to be outdone in the gothic department, Hamnet director Chloé Zhao wore a black veil from designer Gabriela Hearst, who also did her black gown, on the red carpet.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
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Not to be outdone, Okongwu caught the body of Magic forward Paolo Banchero on a putback in the second half.—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But don’t try to outrun the drone.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Pat McGrath Labs, once valued at over $1 billion, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2026, underscoring how even culturally beloved brands can hit financial limits when momentum outruns sustainable business execution.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Leading up to 2025, income growth outpaced rising housing costs after the opposite occurred in 2022 and 2023.—
Sasha Richie,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Rapid population growth — including an influx of high-earning tech workers — have driven up housing costs, which have far outpaced local wages and transformed what was once one of Texas’ most accessible big cities into its most expensive.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Golden’s team leads the nation with a plus-14 rebounding margin and bettered Kentucky 50-29 on the boards on Friday to generate a 21-8 edge in second-change points.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
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At its core, RZA’s One Spoon of Chocolate is a story of a young man’s journey to better his life’s circumstances, while everything around him is shaken.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 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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Is this a safe place to say the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party looks often outshine the actual dresses worn to the Academy Awards?—
Glamour,
Glamour,
16 Mar. 2026
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Each casino tried to outshine the next; in 1961, Binion’s Gambling Hall unveiled a facade equipped with eight miles of neon tubes.—
Roger Kisby,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Whether robots ultimately surpass human sprinters or not, their rapid progress underscores a larger transformation, one where physical intelligence is becoming as critical as digital intelligence in the evolution of AI.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
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Johnson then promptly loaded up with three early 3-pointers, surpassing his previous high for 3-pointers in a game.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Irish coming-of-ager, created by Lisa McGee, became a cultural phenomenon that transcended time and place.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
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The show is colossal in influence and scale, is beloved globally, has transcended generations, and has been a huge part of the cultural conversation for nearly 10 years now.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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