up-front

1 of 2

adjective

ˌəp-ˈfrənt 

ˈəp-ˌfrənt

variants or upfront

: being or coming in or at the front: such as

a(1)

: frank, forthright

were up-front about their suspicions

(2)

: being in a conspicuous or leading position

b

: paid or payable in advance

up-front cash

c

: playing in a front line (as in football)

up front

2 of 2

adverb

1

: in or at the front

chose a seat up front

2

: in advance

paid up front

3

: in an up-front manner : frankly, forthrightly

expressed his doubts up front

Synonyms of up-front

Adjective

• outspoken
• honest
• candid
• frank
• straightforward
• forthcoming
• forthright

Examples of up-front in a Sentence

Adjective

some hurt feelings could have been spared if he'd been more up-front about whom he was inviting to the party

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Moving into a new apartment can require putting down a lot of money up-front. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 22 June 2026

But lenders typically charge much higher rates in exchange for lower up-front origination fees. — Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

Adverb

Plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles are more expensive up front and may be difficult to charge on some campuses. — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 3 July 2026

Asphalt roads, by contrast, are less expensive up front but generally need more frequent repairs and resurfacing. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for up-front

• affront
• confront
• exeunt
• forefront
• lakefront
• manhunt
• sederunt
• upfront
• battlefront
• oceanfront
• riverfront
• waterfront