as in to outdo
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Recent Examples of one-up
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
In soccer, countries and cities bid to host the Champions League and World Cup finals; the Olympics changes every four years and even the Super Bowl in the NFL moves around the United States, with cities and franchises trying to one-up one another.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one-up
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
In soccer, countries and cities bid to host the Champions League and World Cup finals; the Olympics changes every four years and even the Super Bowl in the NFL moves around the United States, with cities and franchises trying to one-up one another.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
Verb
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Use the hope of warm weather to add pops of color and play with new silhouettes that outdo the heaviness of thick sweaters and bulky coats of the past season.—
Jamie Weissman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Feb. 2026
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Every show was trying to outdo each other to stay on the air.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But convenience should never outrun security.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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The joy of the Sharks’ three-month party from November to January was that the Sharks were able to outrun them.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While falling prices can help ease the affordability crisis, Long and other experts say wages need to go up and continue outpacing inflation to truly address the problem.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
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Diesel prices surged on Monday, outpacing the gains in oil prices and hitting their highest level in over two years.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Vanderbilt has noticed strides the 21-year-old Thiero, who has played in 17 NBA games this season, has taken to better his game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 Mar. 2026
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Players like Buzelis and Giddey brush this off, emphasizing their commitment toward bettering the team through the final weeks of the season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
2 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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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
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Club name Home Depot , which reported yesterday , outshines its main rival at last.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But its momentum has slowed over the past decade, exacerbated by stringent pandemic controls, while regional rival India has surpassed it as the fastest-growing major economy.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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In February, the company’s exports surpassed its domestic sales for the first time, according to CNBC’s calculations.—
Matthew Chin,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The peak-twee EPs are redolent of their moment in micro-history but also transcend it, standing up as classics of their kind.—
Brian Howe,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
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As Lang notes in the introduction, pimiento cheese transcends class boundaries; it's both served to the best golfers in the world and sold at Walmart.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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