upstart

1 of 2

verb

up·​start ˌəp-ˈstärt How to pronounce upstart (audio)
upstarted; upstarting; upstarts

intransitive verb

: to jump up (as to one's feet) suddenly

upstart

2 of 2

noun

up·​start ˈəp-ˌstärt How to pronounce upstart (audio)
1
: one that has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power) : parvenu
especially : one that claims more personal importance than is warranted
2
: a start-up enterprise
upstart adjective

Examples of upstart in a Sentence

Noun a young upstart from Harvard who thinks he knows more than the boss having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Founded in Chicago in 2003, the primarily reissue label has grown from a confident upstart to a seasoned veteran. Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025 Still, Mamdani, a progressive upstart with a history of pro-Palestinian activism, is on course to become the first Muslim mayor of the nation's largest city. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Then there is the upstart turned elder statesman of the group, A24. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 There were also new services that were graphics-only, like Prodigy, a cooperation between IBM and Sears, and an upstart that had sprung from the ashes of a Commodore 64 service called Quantum Link. ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for upstart

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upstart was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

upstart

noun
up·​start
ˈəp-ˌstärt
: a person who has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power)
especially : one who makes a great show of success

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