one-upping

verb

present participle of one-up
as in outrunning

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-upping
  1. outrunning
  2. outdoing
  3. outpacing
  4. exceeding
  5. surpassing
  6. outshining
  7. topping
  8. transcending
Verb
  • Some of the skills needed to make data center components are even outrunning the trade schools, like the specialized welding skills needed.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026
  • My own read, after two years of watching vendor roadmaps slip and then compress again, is that the hardware is still outrunning the software.
    — Dax Grant, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of outrunning
Verb
  • Many of these employees have been buying homes, often outdoing rival buyers by offering well above the asking price, real estate agents say.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • View gallery - 3 images IBM has developed the blueprint for producing a processor using sub-1-nanometer (nm) chip technology, outdoing its own efforts to increase efficiency and processing power with 2-nm tech from a few years ago.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 26 June 2026
Definition of outdoing
Verb
  • Cost burden – spending more than 30% of income on housing – is common among lower-income renters in Hazelwood, part of a national pattern of rising housing costs outpacing incomes.
    — Ira Goldstein, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The value of those holdings grew ninefold over the past year, outpacing tokenized funds and ETFs.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of outpacing
Verb
  • Europe in particular appears vulnerable to increasing borrowing costs, with inflation in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain all exceeding analysts’ expectations.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That means being aggressive on fourth down, dialing up the best play calls possible and exceeding the intensity BYU is sure to bring.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of exceeding
Verb
  • With Pat McAfee surpassing Smith as ESPN's most relevant personality, a full-time reunion with Bayless would represent an opportunity to regain momentum.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Shockingly, both whole cow’s milk and skim milk were found to be among the most hydrating beverages—even surpassing mineral water in some conditions.
    — Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of surpassing
Verb
  • But doubt crept into the stands as the game wore on, the mounting tension at times outshining the spiritwear.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Some have considered this a case of hackery outshining artistry.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outshining
Verb
  • Gas prices topping $4 a gallon have opened a new front in Georgia’s race for governor, with both candidates pitching tax cuts to ease the fuel squeeze on household budgets, Greg Bluestein reports.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Huskies will also come into the season as favorites in the league, topping the preseason coaches’ poll with eight of the possible 10 first-place votes.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of topping
Verb
  • While Mayor Mamdani’s statements on Israel have drawn much attention, a prior mayor’s tenure offers a powerful paradigm for transcending controversy to pursue mutually beneficial partnerships.
    — Herbert Block, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • He was also convicted of engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and providing material support to terrorists.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of transcending
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.

Browse Nearby Words

one-upped
one-upping
one-ups
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Cite this Entry

“One-upping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-upping. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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