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

Still, Wan hopes for a breakthrough as more start-ups and research groups try their hand at MCB. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 8 July 2026

The share of engineers at AI-native firms was 13% higher than at other traditional start-ups. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 July 2026

Mini suites enable start-ups and other small employers the opportunity to gain a toehold in premium buildings through affordable, turnkey, move-in-ready spaces. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

The investments tracked by CNBC range from humanoid robotics companies Galaxea and Unitree, to parts and software start-ups such as Linkerbot, Hypershell and Genrobot AI. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 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