What does "one-upmanship" mean?
The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.
One-upmanship
/(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.
- Grammar: one-upmanship is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: art, artfulness, artifice, ascendancy.
- Usage evidence: Now they find themselves in a dangerous game of name-calling and one-upmanship.
How to use "one-upmanship"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "one-upmanship" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "one-upmanship" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "one-upmanship" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "one-upmanship" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "art" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.
"They are focused on one-upmanship, which is the essence of a competitive spirit."
- 2 the practice of keeping one jump ahead of a friend or competitor wordnet
- 3 A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.
"I think all readers will be impressed by the manner in which Marwick places his own analysis in relation to previous studies both of sorcery and of conflict in general. His punctiliousness here contrasts sharply with the practice of some anthropologists who, in a contest of one-upmanship, score points either by ignoring earlier work or even by baldly asserting that it was all wrong."
Example
"Now they find themselves in a dangerous game of name-calling and one-upmanship."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "one-upmanship"?
Common synonyms include: art, artfulness, artifice, ascendancy, canniness, cleverness.
How do you use "one-upmanship" in a sentence?
Now they find themselves in a dangerous game of name-calling and one-upmanship.
How do you pronounce "one-upmanship"?
Pronounced /(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/.
Etymology
From one-up + -manship, probably modelled after gamesmanship.