one-upmanship

noun

one-up·​man·​ship ˌwən-ˈəp-mən-ˌship How to pronounce one-upmanship (audio)
variants or less commonly one-upsmanship
ˌwən-ˈəps-mən-ˌship How to pronounce one-upmanship (audio)
: 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
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.
No one wants to be abrupt and just hang up, but there might also be some one-upmanship lurking below the surface. — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 2 May 2026 Messi got to play after Mbappé last week and seemed engaged in a game of one-upmanship. — Tom Burrows, New York Times, 27 June 2026 Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026 Hundreds of recent statutes, executive actions, and regulations seem to play a game of one-upmanship in which states try to find ways to be even more cruel. — Darren Rosenblum, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for one-upmanship

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of one-upmanship was in 1952

Rhymes for one-upmanship

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Browse Nearby Words

one up
one-upmanship
on everyone's/everybody's lips
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“One-upmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-upmanship. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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