one up

verb

To outdo, to perform something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

“If you hit that block, you can get a one up.”

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Meanings

verbone up (third-person singular simple present one ups, present participle one upping, simple past and past participle one upped)

present singular third person one ups · participle present one upping · participle past one upped · past one upped · alternative one-up

  1. idiomaticTo outdo, to perform something slightly better than a competitor's prior effort.

    Every year the neighbors try to one-up each other with their holiday lights.

nounone up (plural one ups)

plural one ups · alternative one-up

  1. especiallyAn advantage over someone.

    WePay wants to get one-up in the mobile payments race with its new iOS app for small businesses.

  2. alternativevideo gamesAlternative spelling of 1-up (“extra life”).

    If you hit that block, you can get a one up.

Translations

Bulgarian имам малко преимущество
  • имам малко преимущество (imam malko preimuštestvo)do something slightly better than a competitor
Czech přetrumfnout, zajistit si výhodu
  • přetrumfnoutdo something slightly better than a competitor
  • zajistit si výhodudo something slightly better than a competitor
Finnish pistää paremmaksi, panna paremmaksi
  • pistää paremmaksido something slightly better than a competitor
  • panna paremmaksido something slightly better than a competitor
French surpasser
  • surpasserdo something slightly better than a competitor
German um eine Nasenlänge voraus sein
  • um eine Nasenlänge voraus seindo something slightly better than a competitor
Hungarian leköröz, lepipál
  • lekörözdo something slightly better than a competitor
  • lepipáldo something slightly better than a competitor
  • orrhosszal megelőzdo something slightly better than a competitor
Icelandic bera af, skara fram úr
  • bera afdo something slightly better than a competitor
  • skara fram úrdo something slightly better than a competitor
  • reka á stampinndo something slightly better than a competitor
Polish zyskiwać przewagę, zyskać przewagę
  • zyskiwać przewagędo something slightly better than a competitor
  • zyskać przewagędo something slightly better than a competitor
Portuguese superar
  • superardo something slightly better than a competitor
Romanian întrece, depăși
  • întrecedo something slightly better than a competitor
  • depășido something slightly better than a competitor
Russian превосходи́ть, превзойти́
  • превосходи́ть (prevosxodítʹ)do something slightly better than a competitor
  • превзойти́ (prevzojtí)do something slightly better than a competitor
  • переплёвывать (perepljóvyvatʹ)do something slightly better than a competitor
  • переплю́нуть (perepljúnutʹ)do something slightly better than a competitor
  • уде́лывать (udélyvatʹ)do something slightly better than a competitor
  • уде́лать (udélatʹ)do something slightly better than a competitor
Spanish superar
  • superardo something slightly better than a competitor
Swedish bräcka, överträffa
  • bräckado something slightly better than a competitor
  • överträffado something slightly better than a competitor
  • överglänsado something slightly better than a competitor
  • brädado something slightly better than a competitor
Cite this entry
APA

one up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20up

MLA

“one up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “one up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one%20up.

Source: one up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.