as in to outdo
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Recent Examples of one-up
The series stars Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash-Betts, Teyana Taylor, Matthew Noszka, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, who all one-up each other with deliriously absurd lines of dialogue.
—
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
Plainly, Miami was surprised by how Louisville came out, Cards coach Jeff Brohm one-up on Cristobal’s staff.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
The Dutch driver was knocked out of the race, leaving Hamilton with the perfect opportunity to one-up his rival.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
When Chase increased the rewards on its Sapphire Reserve Card in June, American Express tried to one-up its rival with a press release letting people know that upgrades to the Platinum Card were coming.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
Plainly, Miami was surprised by how Louisville came out, Cards coach Jeff Brohm one-up on Cristobal’s staff.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
The Dutch driver was knocked out of the race, leaving Hamilton with the perfect opportunity to one-up his rival.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
When Chase increased the rewards on its Sapphire Reserve Card in June, American Express tried to one-up its rival with a press release letting people know that upgrades to the Platinum Card were coming.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
Verb
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Not to be outdone, television stars like Selena Gomez, Jenna Ortega, and Carrie Coon also brought plenty of drama in gowns that oozed razzle and dazzle.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
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In a first half of memorable moments, unimaginable meltdowns and scintillating finishes, the Penguins outdid themselves on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Bug, Carrie Coon's Agnes White — an Oklahoma waitress too exhausted to outrun her past — faces a more persistent threat.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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His animosity toward the media dates back to the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in a 1997 car crash in Paris, as her driver tried to outrun aggressive photographers.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By the 17th century, Dutch traders outpaced their Spanish rivals in turning menace into efficiency.—
Valerie L. Myers,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
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Flu reports continue to outpace COVID-19 cases in the region.—
Kendrick Calfee
January 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Woods has created a group called Theathelight, which trains young athletes to better themselves on and off the field.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
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Nothing betters the gift of time.—
Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 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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Google-parent Alphabet was the most magnificent of the Magnificent Seven; Colombia’s stock market was the surprise leader of the MSCI All Country World Index; silver surged over 141%, outshining its sibling gold, which itself had a phenomenal year.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
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That smile could outshine the studio's gleam, the spark of resilience, hope and dream.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Perry, again upping his game in the absence of teammate Skyy Clark, made four 3-pointers, shot 7 for 13 from the field and made all 12 of his free-throw attempts in surpassing his previous career best of 17 points.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Perry made four 3-pointers, shot 7 of 13 from the field and made all 12 of his free-throw attempts in surpassing his previous career best of 17 points.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The ability to transcend darkness and light is similar to Libra’s juxtaposing scales, which are needed for balance.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
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The Grateful Dead gave me my musical spirit, my understanding that a concert could be a religious experience, that a song could heal you, that a band and an audience could create something together that transcended performance.—
Kraig Fox,
Rolling Stone,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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