one-two

American  

[wuhn-too] / ˈwʌnˈtu /

noun

1. Also called one-two punch.  Boxing. a left-hand jab immediately followed by a right cross.

2. Informal. any strong or effective combination of two people or things.

   The old one-two of a good passer and a good receiver is the best way to win football games.

3. Fencing. a type of attack made up of two movements.

---

adjective

1. employing or suggesting a one-two; with one major or powerful thing or person combined with or following another.

one-two British  

noun

1. boxing a jab with the leading hand followed by a cross with the other hand

2. soccer another term for wall pass

---

Etymology

Origin of one-two

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

“And then Erica Wheeler is just a winner, and she’s going to bring some toughness and leadership there. So I think with those three at the one-two spot, we’re super excited about that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

George Russell led team-mate Kimi Antonelli to a Mercedes one-two ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Sorloth scored his second and Atletico's third on the night on 76 minutes after a brilliant one-two between Ademola Lookman and Antoine Griezmann.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

It took the one-two punch of Paris and Milan to restore the luster of the Olympic rings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

Finally, when there are only twenty minutes left, he makes us number off one-two and we break up into teams for an abbreviated game, thanks to what he calls “unfortunate events.”

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• blow
• jab
• shot
• slap
• stroke