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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Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie just can’t outrun his famously taut backside.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
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These officers can outrun you, outmaneuver you through dense downtown traffic and scout out any funny business in large crowds.—
Caroline Silva,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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How Mecklenburg salaries compare to other NC counties Salaries for Mecklenburg County employees outpace some of the region’s smaller surrounding counties and other major metropolitan areas.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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Since online betting became legal, the increase in delinquencies in states that legalized has outpaced those in states that didn't, the organization found.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 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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Even though Earth and Jupiter are moving farther and farther away from each other in their respective orbits around the sun, Jupiter still outshines all the stars in Orion’s gang.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Even with the spike in fuel prices, United's executives have said in recent weeks that demand remains strong, noting that premium-travel demand has outshined the main cabin.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 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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But the Heat captain’s concerns transcended statistics.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2026
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The only way to inoculate belief against that cycle of disruption is to treat faith as a decision that transcends scientific proof.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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