ONE-UPPING Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

one-upping

verb

present participle of one-up

as in outrunning

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

losing (to)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-upping

Verb

His peers of the mid-19th century were outrunning their critics and the old strictures of colonial imitation.

— Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
As a result, innovation is outrunning supervision.

— Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Definition of outrunning

Verb

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
As rumors have flown about this relentless Sacramento parking enforcement officer, Nakamura has quietly patrolled the streets, outdoing himself.

— Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2026

Definition of outdoing

Verb

Prediction-market trading has surged during a blowout World Cup, far outpacing the growth at traditional sportsbooks and driving home the competitive threat that companies like Kalshi now pose to the sports-gambling industry.

— Nathaniel Popper, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Nestlé has highlighted several long-term trends supporting that strategy, including cat ownership growing roughly three times faster than dog ownership in recent years and premium cat food outpacing premium dog food growth.

— Elsa Ohlen,Carolin Roth, CNBC, 18 July 2026

Definition of outpacing

Verb

And by exceeding expectations so spectacularly on nomination morning, Widow’s Bay seized the thrust in the comedy category despite Hacks’s superior nomination count (24 nominations, besting its previous high of 17 nominations in 2022).

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 July 2026
The case of Thomas Boukamp exemplifies this; his autism influenced his serious crimes and his catastrophic decision to self-represent, resulting in a life sentence far exceeding typical penalties for similar offenses.

— Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of exceeding

Verb

Rates in the Bay Area have varied over time, but in the last five years, only San Mateo and Marin counties have ever housed more than half of those who exited shelter, with each surpassing that figure for two years.

— Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Johnston made his breakout performance as the toxically hopeless romantic Bear in Curry Barker’s Obsession, which has become Focus Features’ highest grossing title ever, surpassing $300M globally last month.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 July 2026

Definition of surpassing

Verb

In a World Cup boasting a galaxy of stars, a lunch-bucket team of blue-collar everymen may wind up outshining them all.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
That's good news for stargazers, as the moon will still be visible without outshining the planets nearby.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of outshining

Verb

Shares of the industrial firm dropped almost 8% on Thursday after delivering a mixed quarter, with earnings narrowly topping expectations but revenue falling short.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 25 July 2026
Sinner rebounded to win Wimbledon, dominating Djokovic in the semis and topping Alexander Zverev in the final.

— Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of topping

Verb

Ralph Lauren's two-decade partnership with Wimbledon exemplifies sophisticated luxury marketing, transcending mere sponsorship.

— Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Like the polo shirt or rugby stripes before it, the soccer jersey is transcending its associations with the sport.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 28 June 2026

Definition of transcending

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Browse Nearby Words

one-upped

one-upping

one-ups

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Style

“One-upping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-upping. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of one-upping

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

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