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.
That friendly bit of rockstar one-upmanship became the first note in what would grow into a vast global archive of more than 88,000 historic pieces. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 The next, Chelsea buy Morgan Rogers for £117m in what feels like a game of one-upmanship rather than good business. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 July 2026 But whereas that world could be characterized, at times, by macho one-upmanship that felt almost bloodthirsty, Esperantists like Jurobola were committed to a hazy vision of peace. — Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026 The visit, meant to establish stability after a decade of trade wars and acrimonious one-upmanship, instead highlighted how the balance of power is tipping away from Washington. — Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 15 May 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

See All Rhymes for one-upmanship

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 1 Sep. 2026.

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