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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With its substantial political resources and $22 million in spending — perhaps even more — AIPAC far outdid other groups in outside spending in Black and underserved communities.—
Jesse Jackson Jr,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Euphoria Season 3 has already outdone itself, and the first episode doesn’t even premiere for 10 more days.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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For the starriest film on their slate, Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton will battle it out in Apex, which follows a woman attempting to outrun a man intent on hunting her in the woods.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Still, the costs of some key essentials, such as housing, education and health care, have far outpaced inflation, leaving millions of households struggling to afford a home or fund a child's college education.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Even during limited early observations, the telescope has detected thousands of moving objects in just days, far outpacing traditional asteroid surveys, according to a statement from the NSF NOIRLab.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just like any other tech transformation, there are sure to be growing pains—but people can better their chances by adding AI to their arsenal.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Many criticized the program as a distraction from the country’s problems and a waste of money that the government could instead use to better the lives of everyday Americans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 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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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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Later that day, the spacecraft will reach a distance of some 248,650 miles from Earth — the exact number is not yet known — equaling and then surpassing a record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Swooping around the moon's far side, the astronauts aboard Orion are expected to travel farther from Earth than any humans ever have – surpassing the record of 248,655 miles set in 1970 during the infamous Apollo 13 mission.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trends may come and go at lightning speed, but basics deserve more credit for transcending hype.—
Amber Rambharose,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
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Pickles in Pop Culture In modern-day America, pickles have transcended their role as a simple side dish or sandwich topping to become a cultural phenomenon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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