one up

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "One up" is correct and usable in written English.
The phrase is often used to mean a slight advantage that one person has over another, or to refer to outdoing someone. For example, "I can't believe he got the promotion - I've been trying to one up him for years!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

Make one up".

The New Yorker

Or, "Make one up".

The New York Times

Why set one up then?

The Economist

But chalk one up for the underdog.

The New York Times

How did Kimbrel follow that one up?

The New York Times

We could make one up!

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

(He's one-up on Shakespeare there).

The New York Times

Sons burning to one-up fathers.

The New York Times

The race to one-up Heinz continues.

The New York Times - Food

"I'll one-up her," a designer said.

The New Yorker

Find the one-up.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "one up" to describe situations where someone gains a slight advantage or outperforms another person in a competitive context. It is appropriate for informal and semi-formal writing.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase "one up" in formal academic or professional writing. Opt for more sophisticated alternatives like "outperform" or "gain a competitive edge" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "one up" functions as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it signifies outdoing or surpassing someone. As a noun, it refers to an additional life in a video game. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Wiki

7%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "one up" is a versatile idiom that functions as both a verb and a noun, signifying outdoing someone or representing an extra life in gaming. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and common usage. While predominantly found in news, media and wiki contexts, its informal tone suggests cautious use in formal academic and professional writing. For such scenarios, alternatives like "outperform" or "gain an advantage" may be more suitable. With a strong expert rating based on grammatical correctness, source authority, and consistent usage, "one up" remains a popular and easily understood expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

better

Indicates improving upon something or someone.

outdo

Implies surpassing someone else's achievement.

improve upon

Highlights the act of making something better than it was before.

surpass

Suggests exceeding a certain level or limit.

top

Suggests exceeding or surpassing a previous high point.

gain an advantage

Focuses on acquiring a beneficial position relative to others.

exceed

Emphasizes going beyond expectations or boundaries.

eclipse

Means overshadowing or outshining something or someone.

get ahead

Highlights making progress and achieving success.

outstrip

Implies exceeding in speed or progress.

FAQs

How can I use "one up" in a sentence?

You can use "one up" to describe outperforming someone or gaining a slight advantage, as in "Every year the neighbors try to one-up each other with their holiday lights".

What's a more formal way to say "one up"?

For a more formal tone, you can use alternatives such as "outperform", "surpass", or "gain an advantage".

Is it appropriate to use "one up" in professional communication?

While "one up" is acceptable in informal settings, it's better to use more formal phrases like "exceed expectations" or "outdo the competition" in professional contexts.

What does it mean to "one up" someone?

To "one up" someone means to outdo them or do something slightly better than they did, often in a playful or competitive way. It implies gaining a slight advantage over someone else.