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definitions

one-up

[ wuhn-uhp ]
/ ˈwʌnˈʌp /
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verb (used with object), one-upped, one-up·ping.

to get the better of; succeed in being a point, move, step, etc., ahead of (someone): They one-upped the competition.

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RELATED WORDS

angle, beguile, bluff, exploit, finagle, finesse, jockey, maneuver, manipulate, operate, play, rig, wangle

Nearby words

  1. one-to-one,
  2. one-track,
  3. one-track mind,
  4. one-trick pony,
  5. one-two,
  6. one-upmanship,
  7. one-upsmanship,
  8. one-way,
  9. one-way mirror,
  10. one-way ticket

Origin of one-up

First recorded in 1960–65
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for one-upping

one-up

adjective

informal having or having scored an advantage or lead over someone or something
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012