upswing

noun

up·​swing ˈəp-ˌswiŋ 

1

: an upward swing

2

: a marked increase or improvement

a dramatic upswing in profits

—often used in the phrase on the upswing

Her career is on the upswing.

Examples of upswing in a Sentence

an upswing of the arms

Recent Examples on the Web

What once looked like a cyclical upswing now resembles a sustained re-rating of gold's place in the global financial system. —Sharon Wu, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026

The upswing since has been dramatic. —The Athletic, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026

The South Bay gained 400 jobs in November, an upswing that ended four consecutive months of job losses. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026

But given that global demand for coal, oil, and gas all hit record highs in 2025, and aren’t going away anytime soon, there are still lots of strong bets to make in anticipation of an eventual upswing in the fossil fuel price cycle. —Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upswing

• bowstring
• coiling
• downswing
• drawstring
• forewing
• hamstring
• lapwing
• mainspring
• offspring
• plaything
• shoestring
• texting

Kids Definition

upswing

noun

up·​swing ˈəp-ˌswiŋ 

: an upward swing

especially : a marked increase or improvement (as in activity)

business is on the upswing