start-up

noun

ˈstärt-ˌəp 

variants or startup

often attributive

1

: the act or an instance of setting in operation or motion

2

: a fledgling business enterprise

Examples of start-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the credit for that belongs to the intricate clockwork of drone factories, start-ups, software developers, training academies, and military innovators that help keep the Ukrainian war machine running. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

Two of the biggest tech giants are locked in a head-to-head legal battle, with Apple claiming OpenAI stole trade secrets as the AI start-up plans its first hardware devices. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 23 July 2026

Technical teams will conduct initial system start-up, cold commissioning, and final operational licensing throughout the summer months. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026

Khosla Ventures, a heavy backer of artificial intelligence along with climate and healthcare start-ups, was the first venture capital firm to invest in OpenAI. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for start-up

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