as in to outdo
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Wilde delivers a pure-camp performance here, trying to one-up Miranda Priestly with her imperious workplace attitude, cover-girl eyeliner and droll line deliveries.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
In soccer, countries and cities bid to host the Champions League and World Cup finals; the Olympics changes every four years and even the Super Bowl in the NFL moves around the United States, with cities and franchises trying to one-up one another.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Later in the day, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will try to one-up her as the most radical mayor in the US by burning two Old Glories in Times Square.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
During one scene, Claire — in a desperate attempt to one-up a neighbor (Joan Chen), who gifted her a three-wick candle — shoplifts from Crate & Barrel and is chased through the mall and parking lot by an army of security guards.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
In soccer, countries and cities bid to host the Champions League and World Cup finals; the Olympics changes every four years and even the Super Bowl in the NFL moves around the United States, with cities and franchises trying to one-up one another.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Later in the day, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will try to one-up her as the most radical mayor in the US by burning two Old Glories in Times Square.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
During one scene, Claire — in a desperate attempt to one-up a neighbor (Joan Chen), who gifted her a three-wick candle — shoplifts from Crate & Barrel and is chased through the mall and parking lot by an army of security guards.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for one-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for one-up
Verb
-
Then again, who’s to say May won’t outdo him with more monster transfers?—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Not to be outdone by a property clearly inspired by George Lucas' space opera, LucasArts launched its own ambitious (and wildly successful) series of space sims.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The girl tried to outrun the turning bus before she was hit, video of the horrific incident shows.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The result is a fractured information ecosystem where virality matters more than truth, speed outruns verification and public understanding is shaped less by facts than by whoever captures attention first.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But inflation ended up outpacing those increases.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The country easily outpaces the rest of the developed world in gun deaths and overdoses, both major mortality drivers here that have largely been accepted as the cost of being American.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Following practice on Tuesday before the suspensions were handed out, Lee detailed how the Hornets can use the whole ordeal to better themselves.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
White set an intention after the 2021-22 season to better himself as a player and teammate, working on his physique and ballhandling in the offseason to transform into a well-rounded combo guard.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yapi created the opportunity by outracing Carlos Harvey down the left flank.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
11 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
The quiet ethic often called Minnesota Nice is outshining the intimidation meant to silence dissent.—
Valeng Cha,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
-
As the teams prepare for the big game, the dueling NFL cities look to outshine each other.—
Kelsie Hoffman,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
SimpleImages/Getty Images Gold prices have been on a remarkable run over the past year, with the price of the precious metal consistently surpassing prior records and just recently climbing to historic levels above $5,000 per ounce.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The media giant’s HBO Max and Discovery+ services delivered their strongest Winter Olympics streaming performance to date through the opening days of competition, surpassing both Beijing 2022 and PyeongChang 2018 benchmarks.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But while the artwork—femtanyl’s trademark feline creature Token engulfed by flames—still teems with digital artifacts, the music on this debut album seems keen to transcend the screen.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The reward-seeking behavior has transcended active intent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“One-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/one-up. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
