one upmanship

/wʌn ˈʌpmənʃɪp/
noun
  1. The practice of trying to get an advantage over others by appearing better, more skilled, or more successful, often in a competitive or showy way.
    • Office one-upmanship can create a stressful environment among coworkers.
    • Their conversation turned into a game of one-upmanship, each bragging about their vacation.
    • He bought a faster car just for one-upmanship against his neighbor.
Synonyms
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