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.

---

one-upmanship British  

/ wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp /

noun

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

---

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

The skyscape of this city is peppered with examples of architectural “I’ll go higher still” one-upmanship.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 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

Fear, uncertainty, and one-upmanship became key ingredients of this new approach to warfare.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• gamesmanship