one-upmanship
noun
one-up·man·ship
ˌwən-ˈəp-mən-ˌship 
variants
or less commonly one-upsmanship
: the art or practice of outdoing or keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor
engaged in a round of verbal one-upmanship
Examples of one-upmanship in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There was a tendency in the local scene toward one-upmanship in terms of how many cylinders a builder could wedge into these machines, and at some point Whitelock decided to take the idea to its logical conclusion and end the arms race once and for all.
—
New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
His carryings-on are not misplaced exactly, but there’s an air of one-upmanship at work, too.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024
The falling out between Musk and OpenAI has evolved into a stiff game of one-upmanship.
—Kylie Robison, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2024
Amusement parks play an endless game of one-upmanship, always searching for the tallest and fastest new thrills.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2024
The Australian Swimmer’s Rivalry With Katie Ledecky Has Captivated Olympics Fans
The one-upmanship intensifies during relay races, especially in the freestyle matches, in which Australia often has a slight advantage.
—Alice Park/paris, TIME, 27 July 2024
The first part, which has been written and written again, is the story of how Biden (for the most part) declined to participate in the game of rhetorical one-upmanship to which the party’s progressives committed themselves.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 17 July 2024
In the world of battle rap, a certain level of mischievousness is expected – there is a tacit understanding that no holds are barred in the tactical game of competing over musicality, one-upmanship, and narrative building.
—Shamira Ibrahim, refinery29.com, 9 May 2024
Columnist Phil Boas uses the one-upmanship as a cautionary tale for Arizona, particularly if Democrats flip the Legislature in the fall and are tempted to follow suit.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2024
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.
New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
His carryings-on are not misplaced exactly, but there’s an air of one-upmanship at work, too.
—Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024
The falling out between Musk and OpenAI has evolved into a stiff game of one-upmanship.
—Kylie Robison, The Verge, 3 Oct. 2024
Amusement parks play an endless game of one-upmanship, always searching for the tallest and fastest new thrills.
—Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2024
The Australian Swimmer’s Rivalry With Katie Ledecky Has Captivated Olympics Fans
The one-upmanship intensifies during relay races, especially in the freestyle matches, in which Australia often has a slight advantage.
—Alice Park/paris, TIME, 27 July 2024
The first part, which has been written and written again, is the story of how Biden (for the most part) declined to participate in the game of rhetorical one-upmanship to which the party’s progressives committed themselves.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 17 July 2024
In the world of battle rap, a certain level of mischievousness is expected – there is a tacit understanding that no holds are barred in the tactical game of competing over musicality, one-upmanship, and narrative building.
—Shamira Ibrahim, refinery29.com, 9 May 2024
Columnist Phil Boas uses the one-upmanship as a cautionary tale for Arizona, particularly if Democrats flip the Legislature in the fall and are tempted to follow suit.
—Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 11 June 2024
Articles Related to one-upmanship
Dictionary Entries Near one-upmanship
Cite this Entry
“One-upmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-upmanship. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share