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

Eric worked for a time as a software developer in a few start-ups, and Owen as an analyst at a venture-capital firm. — Eric Zwick, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Over Taiwanese breakfast, Claira Janover, a lively 28-year-old working for the AI fashion start-up Phia, is explaining the latest vernacular from Wasia. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

But unlike the first time, that someone is an artificial intelligence start-up. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026

Other start-up leagues and exhibition series have come and gone, briefly luring the passionate diasporas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia and the Caribbean nations, but lacking the investment and infrastructure to succeed. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 4 Sep. 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