one-upmanship

Also one-ups·man·ship
Also

[wuhn-uhp-muhn-ship]

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.

oneˈ-upmanship

/ wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of one-upmanship¹

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

Example Sentences

Despite California’s kumbaya vibe, a deep lode of hate and racist one-upmanship undergirds Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

Their history is littered with games of political one-upmanship, legal fights and loud, national back-and-forths in service of their policies and parties.

From Salon

Like a taut earthquake fault that too often unbelts itself and cuts loose with repellent force, a deep lode of hate and racist one-upmanship undergirds Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

A battle of wits between Berle and Chase becomes a darkly funny game of one-upmanship — even if Uncle Milty literally resorts to swinging his d**k around to show Chase who is boss.

From Salon

Jason, who was capped for England, jokingly replied: "It’s always like one-upmanship on who can get hurt the worst."

From BBC

Related Words

• gamesmanship