as in to outdo
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Not to be outdone, Sotheby’s has its own Rothko trophy work on offer, the 1957 painting Brown and Blacks in Reds, estimated at $100 million.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
3 May 2026
-
Of course, Carly’s kitsch far outdid her neighbors’ in its oddness, luridness, lavishness.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
This season, coach Arne Slot’s side have become a soft touch, easily played through and often outrun.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
The possibility of uncertain thought, where the speed of the pen outruns the fine control in the effort to write as fast as one thinks, and one gains a productive illegibility.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Suspending the gas tax would likely provide only limited relief, as recent price increases have far outpaced the federal levy.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
Between 2011 and 2023, employment supported by tribal businesses rose 60%, and real output value increased 61%, far outpacing statewide growth.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Morton also went 3-2 as a starter in the playoffs with the Cowboys and 5-5 for his career, matching White (5-5) and bettering Romo (2-4), Prescott (2-5) and Meredith (1-3).—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
-
Her 13th place there is unlikely to be bettered at the real thing.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Yapi created the opportunity by outracing Carlos Harvey down the left flank.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
11 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
The central region of Messier 77 is dominated by an extremely compact and energetic source that outshines the rest of the galaxy combined, even challenging the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope itself.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
The International Space Station can under certain conditions be among the brightest objects in the sky – outshined only by the sun and moon.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Centering on five boyhood friends reuniting after the death of their beloved basketball coach, director Dennis Dugan‘s film surpassed $270 million at the global box office.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
This is one of those records that just transcends time.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
Bolton and his team placed plenty of artworks in close proximity to garments of all kinds, suggesting artistic dialogue that transcends geographic and temporal boundaries.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
