one-up

verb

Definition of one-upnext
as in to outdo

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of one-up Season one’s twist that Sugar is an alien recontextualized the entire series, and while there’s a couple cool twists in season two, the writers didn’t try to one-up themselves to that degree. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026 The Berenstein Bear's bedrooms are arranged in a one-up, one-down layout. — New Atlas, 10 June 2026 In July 2021, Bronny was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the tender age of 16 — one-upping his superstar dad, who made his SI debut at 17 years old. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 Mondo Duplantis, who was born in Louisiana but competes for his mother’s home country of Sweden, keeps one-upping himself, one centimeter at a time. — Sean Gregory, Time, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
  1. outdo
  2. outrun
  3. outpace
  4. better
  5. outrace
  6. outshine
  7. surpass
  8. transcend
Verb
  • Not to be outdone, Meta later added that one of its models had accessed the internet during a cybersecurity test and exploited a security flaw at an unnamed third-party company.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The film follows a group of struggling East London rappers who, desperate to outdo another rising star, steal a boat for a music video only to discover it’s stuffed with cash, landing them between rival crime cartels.
    — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of outdo
Verb
  • The stock jumped another 8% in late July after second-quarter earnings beat estimates, outrunning Salesforce and Workday in the same rally.
    — Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Abdurraqib’s point, though, appears to be that the curse might be a blessing in disguise, or at least that our attempts to outrun the curse might be more cursed than the curse itself.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of outrun
Verb
  • And why small caps have been outpacing large caps, and why many parts of the investable universe are actually doing better this year than the megacap technology companies.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • These layoffs come as New York outpaces the San Francisco area in recruiting tech talent.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of outpace
Verb
  • Then the attention economy takes over, unleashing too many athletes who speak freely to better themselves rather than a select few who speak bravely to better society.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Parton dedicated her life and career to bettering the world in so many ways, from her Dollywood theme park to her Imagination Library, which has promoted childhood literacy through delivering millions of books to children.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of better
Verb
  • Navarro outraced the defense to a through ball played ahead by Paxten Aaronson and beat goalkeeper Drake Callender one on one from near the penalty spot to give the Rapids a 1-0 lead.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 May 2026
  • Maxi Moralez played a first-touch pass to the edge of the area and Fernández, who outraced the defense to the ball and scored from the right corner of the 6-yard box to give NYCFC a 2-1 lead in the 35th minute.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of outrace
Verb
  • But Brooks’ boundless enthusiasm – passion that’s too big for his body to contain – outshines all of that.
    — Heather Bushman, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Revealing the strategy, agility, confidence and resilience will outshine chronology.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of outshine
Verb
  • Worth more than world’s 500 richest people combined Entrepreneur Elon Musk made headlines in June when his net worth surpassed $1 trillion after the SpaceX initial public offering.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Monthly trading volumes surpassed $37 billion in July, boosted by the World Cup.
    — Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • Beyond Culture is billed as a company integrating film, art, music, technology and experience, which will champion uncompromising voices and stories that expand consciousness, provoke convention and transcend mediums.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Business valuation transcends simple EBITDA multiples, primarily focusing on a company's future growth potential and its unique narrative.
    — Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of transcend

Browse Nearby Words

one-twos
one-up
one-upped
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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