one-upmanship
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.
By the mid-20th century, World’s Fairs had become games of one-upmanship and geopolitical rivalry.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 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
In an interview with The Associated Press last month, she’d said that building relationships with small Pacific nations shouldn’t become a game of one-upmanship with China.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2023
I laughed at the thought of Mrs. Dorn keeping a tally of everything her neighbors purchased, and tried not to be jealous that Audrey got a car because of a game of wealthy one-upmanship.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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