How to Use one-up in a Sentence

one-up

verb

• Clearly, the 170 is about the numbers, and Dodge had to one-up the old Demon.
  — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 20 Mar. 2023
• On Princess Cruises’ 2026 world cruise, the line will one-up itself.
  — Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
• The Ravens one-upped themselves in last week’s playoff blowout of Pittsburgh, too, rolling up 299 yards on the ground.
  — Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
• Well now, DeSantis has a new idea to one-up the House of Mouse: turn it into a big house.
  — Tori Otten, The New Republic, 18 Apr. 2023
• Reports indicate the Toronto Blue Jays are still in the mix and could attempt to one-up the Mets.
  — Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
• Reports indicate the Toronto Blue Jays are still in the mix and could attempt to one-up the Mets.
  — Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
• But whatever the method, the goal was always to delight and one-up each other.
  — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2025
• Just watch out for those in your circle trying to one-up your brilliance — this is your moment to lead the chat!
  — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 26 June 2025
• Only one thing left for the rookie lefty to do after Webb tossed one shutout and Snell one-upped him with a no-hitter.
  — Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2024
• But on Friday, DraftKings swooped in and offered to one-up the offer with a $195 million all-cash bid.
  — Aaron Pressman, BostonGlobe.com, 16 June 2023
• From left: The neighbors work to one-up each other with a rainbow-streamer curtain and a cheeky note.
  — Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
• Leave it to method-dressing queen Margot Robbie to try and one-up her in a Mugler spring 1996 corset at the Oscars.
  — Alice Newbold, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024
• While the 2024 Golden Vines pulled out all the stops for wine lovers who gathered from around the world, Miami is set to one-up one of the great wine weekends of the year.
  — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2024
• While the 2024 Golden Vines pulled out all the stops for wine lovers who gathered from around the world, Miami is set to one-up one of the great wine weekends of the year.
  — Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2024
• Chance one-upped his fellow coach by also singing the song with Nadége onstage; the surprise move helped Chance persuade the singer to join his team.
  — USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
• All this results in a hotel that wows from the first impression and then one-ups itself at every turn.
  — Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2024
• All this results in a hotel that wows from the first impression and then one-ups itself at every turn.
  — Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
• Burger King and McDonald’s have been sparring for decades, each trying to one-up the other with cheeky ads and sly digs.
  — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
• One Uppers When a group of college friends gets together for the first time in years, their old habit of trying to one-up each other reemerges.
  — Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
• Alan Cumming is always looking to one-up himself — and not just with his fashion.
  — Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 13 June 2024
• But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
  — Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
• Two teammates would one-up him over the ensuing couple of days, producing a pair of shutouts against the Royals.
  — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2025
• Or perhaps someone new (Arch Manning?) one-ups Daniels.
  — Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
• Meanwhile, Stan Edgar stands up to Homelander in a rare verbal drubbing that shows the only way to one-up the psychotic Supe is through words.
  — Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
• No one was trying to one-up one another, as in the typical writers room.
  — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023
• In Season 2, your ex-husband, played by Adam Scott, builds a rocket and attempts to go to space, sort of to impress his ex-wife but also to one-up her.
  — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 12 July 2024
• Kyle is just outing herself as a gossip and is distorting what everyone has to say to try to one-up Dorit in her own life.
  — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
• Network correspondents scramble to one-up each other.
  — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
• One of my favorite scenes is when your characters are one-upping each other while doing a toast.
  — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
• Every season, she one-ups herself, and there’s something crazier.
  — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 11 Feb. 2026