one-upmanship

American  

[wuhn-uhp-muhn-ship] / ˈwʌnˈʌp mənˌʃɪp /

Also one-upsmanship

noun

1. the art or practice of achieving, demonstrating, or assuming superiority in one's rivalry with a friend or opponent by obtaining privilege, status, status symbols, etc..

   the one-upmanship of getting into the president's car pool.

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one-upmanship British  

/ wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp /

noun

1. informal the art or practice of achieving or maintaining an advantage over others, often by slightly unscrupulous means

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Etymology

Origin of one-upmanship

First recorded in 1950–55; one up + -manship

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

one-upmanship

Equally unforgettable has been the relentless one-upmanship between the game’s brightest stars at this World Cup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

"The Mourinho - Guardiola rivalry was like a mirror for the Ronaldo - Messi rivalry. And, as players, they knew that game-winning goals were their route to one-upmanship," added Spanish football writer Sid Lowe.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

That kind of provocative behavior will lead to years, even a lifetime, of one-upmanship, backbiting and behind-the-scenes maneuvers.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2025

In an interview with The Associated Press last month, she’d said that building relationships with small Pacific nations shouldn’t become a game of one-upmanship with China.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 18, 2023

I laughed at the thought of Mrs. Dorn keeping a tally of everything her neighbors purchased, and tried not to be jealous that Audrey got a car because of a game of wealthy one-upmanship.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Related Words

• gamesmanship