one up

¹

adjective

1. having gained an advantage in some way that betokens success, especially over rivals.

2. leading an opponent by one point or one scoring unit.

   The home team was one up on the visitors.

3. one each; tied at a score of one.

   The score was one up in the ninth inning.

adverb

1. Printing.,  with only one reproduction of a form per sheet or on a given sheet.

   We must print this job one up.

2. Journalism.,  using one more column of space than of type.

one-up

²

[wuhn-uhp]

verb (used with object)

one-upped, one-upping 

1. to get the better of; succeed in being a point, move, step, etc., ahead of (someone).

   They one-upped the competition.

one-up

adjective

1. informal,  having or having scored an advantage or lead over someone or something

Word History and Origins

Origin of one up¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of one up²

First recorded in 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

Having an advantage or lead over someone, as in Sara is one up on Jane because she passed algebra in summer school. This expression comes from sports, where it means to be one point ahead of one's opponents. It was transferred to more general use about 1920.

Example Sentences

When we followed one up, a recruiter again offered thousands of dollars for arson attacks and asked us to send videos as proof.

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Typically, such a public attack from the president would quiet dissent from a Republican, especially one up for re-election.

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But the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far refused to set one up, arguing it cannot be established before the end of the war in Gaza.

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He marched over to a stack of gigantic pipes, picked one up, and carried it between buildings and out of sight.

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And there is no plan to set one up, according to the K-beauty Industry Association, the only K-beauty trade body officially approved by the South Korean government.

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