one-up

VERB

trump

Synonyms

WEAK

angle beguile bluff exploit finagle finesse jockey maneuver manipulate operate play play games pull strings pull wires rig wangle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Every act that comes in there—and I love this—everyone tries to one-up the last act.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Ever since the launch of ChatGPT, top artificial-intelligence labs have been embroiled in a cutthroat competition to one-up each other with powerful new features.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Paramount tried to one-up the video streamer by making a hostile tender offer for all of Warner Discovery.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Rhetorical listening means avoiding the urge to one-up the opponent or convert the unwashed masses.

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2025

But Harry didn’t care, he was one-up on Malfoy, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling