higher-up

noun

high·​er-up ˌhī-ər-ˈəp 

ˈhī-ər-ˌəp

: a superior officer or official

Examples of higher-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Your manager might ask you to lead an important client presentation after someone who was originally presenting drops out or higher-ups could lean on you for your presence and charisma. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Frustration has been pretty evident from all sides, but at least Gordon’s decision to stay local seems to have mattered to the higher-ups. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 28 July 2026

The central narrator panics, but at the command of their higher-ups, the team heads in anyway. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 3 July 2026

In a civil lawsuit against the city and the state, Los Angeles firefighters testified about a series of communication failures and questionable decisions by higher-ups that led crews to leave the area prematurely. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for higher-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup