one-upmanship

[ wuhn-uhp-muh n-ship ]
/ ˈwʌnˈʌp mənˌʃɪp /

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-muh n-ship] /ˈwʌnˈʌps mənˌʃɪp/.
Also called upmanship, upsmanship.

Origin of one-upmanship

First recorded in 1950–55; one up + -manship

Example sentences from the Web for one-upmanship

British Dictionary definitions for one-upmanship

one-upmanship
/ (wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp) /

noun

informal the art or practice of achieving or maintaining an advantage over others, often by slightly unscrupulous means