one upsmanship

one-up·man·ship

[wuhn-uhp-muhn-ship]
noun
the art or practice of achieving, demonstrating, or assuming superiority in one's rivalry with a friend or opponent by obtaining privilege, status, status symbols, etc.: the one-upmanship of getting into the president's car pool.
Also, one-ups·man·ship [wuhn-uhps-muhn-ship] .
Also called upmanship, upsmanship.


Origin:
1950–55; one up + -manship

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
one-upmanship (wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
informal the art or practice of achieving or maintaining an advantage over others, often by slightly unscrupulous means

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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One upsmanship is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
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