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

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

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

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2024

A mini succession drama unfolds, but like the HBO series on the subject, it’s impossible to separate corporate one-upmanship from family dysfunction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2024

Gunters loved to play the game of one-upmanship and were constantly trying to prove they had acquired more obscure knowledge than everyone else.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• gamesmanship