one-upped; one-upping; one-ups
: to practice one-upmanship on
: being in a position of advantage
—usually used with on
Examples of one-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Jones, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Each tries to one-up the other with outrageous advertising and branding.
—Joseph Cox, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Ellie can’t help trying to one-up Carrie and turns espresso martini–making into a competition.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2024
The put-upon journalist also finds some time to torment the new fiancée (Reid Scott) of his former flame (Michelle Williams), using his parasitic alter ego to one-up the battle of the sexes.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for one-up 
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.
Verb
The weekly political tradition features verbal sparring as the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition try an one-up each other in front of an often rowdy House of Commons.
Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones is a senior desk editor.
—Andrew Jones, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2024
Each tries to one-up the other with outrageous advertising and branding.
—Joseph Cox, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024
Ellie can’t help trying to one-up Carrie and turns espresso martini–making into a competition.
—Emma Soren, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2024
The put-upon journalist also finds some time to torment the new fiancée (Reid Scott) of his former flame (Michelle Williams), using his parasitic alter ego to one-up the battle of the sexes.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for one-up
Articles Related to one-up
Dictionary Entries Near one-up
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one-up. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share