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up·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād 
\
\Definition of upgrade
(Entry 1 of 2)
upgrade
verbup·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād , ˌəp-ˈgrād \
, ˌəp-ˈgrād \upgraded; upgrading; upgrades
Definition of upgrade (Entry 2 of 2)
: to raise or improve the grade of: such as
a : to improve (livestock) by use of purebred sires
b : to advance to a job requiring a higher level of skill especially as part of a training program
c : to raise the quality of
d : to raise the classification and usually the price of without improving the quality
e : to extend the usefulness of (something, such as a device)
f : to assign a less serious status to
upgraded the patient's condition to good
: to replace something (such as software or an electronic device) with a more useful version or alternative
Upgrading to a new operating system can make people anxious, even under the best of circumstances. — Macworld
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Other Words from upgrade
Verb
upgradability or upgradeability \ ˌəp-ˌgrā-də-ˈbi-lə-tē \ noun
\ nounupgradable or upgradeable \ ˌəp-ˈgrā-də-bəl \ adjective
\ adjectiveSynonyms & Antonyms for upgrade
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
Antonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of upgrade in a Sentence
Noun
a slight upgrade in the roadway
The hotel offered us a room upgrade. Verb
This course will help you to upgrade your computer skills.
They've upgraded the quality of their service.
The city is upgrading the sewage treatment plant.
The office is upgrading the telephone system.
They upgraded the hotel to attract more business patrons.
We were able to upgrade to first class.
We had reserved a double room, but the hotel upgraded us to a suite.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Error 0: Both the 2014 bond and the 2019 bond focus heavily on new security measures, technology upgrades, and expanded transportation routes and services.
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Chevall Pryce, Houston Chronicle, "Cy-Fair ISD provides update on $4B in bond projects," 13 Feb. 2020 Though a big believer in Ronald Guzman’s value as a defender, general manager Jon Daniels was candid this winter in seeking an upgrade, or at least a platoon, because of the offensive demands of the position.
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Dallas News, "Nothing’s guaranteed for the oft-injured Greg Bird in Texas, but the Rangers present a significant opportunity," 11 Feb. 2020 Prior to the upgrade, only Macy’s members on the top tier or platinum level earned a percentage of their purchases back as rewards.
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Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, "Macy's launches next phase of Star Rewards program with new benefit for all shoppers, contest," 11 Feb. 2020 Along with the performance upgrades, two new appearance options are on board.
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Connor Hoffman, Car and Driver, "2020 Ford GT Has More Power, Louder Exhaust," 6 Feb. 2020 Then came the failure of NSTX after its upgrade, which aimed to double the strength of its magnetic field.
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Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "After decades of decline, the U.S. national fusion lab seeks a rebirth," 6 Feb. 2020 That could include discounted tickets, complimentary hotel room upgrades, or even a free extra night (often Monday) — which could make an otherwise pricey getaway much more accessible.
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Laurie Jennings, Good Housekeeping, "36 Tips for How to Travel With Kids That Will Save Your Next Family Vacation," 4 Feb. 2020 Utility spending will also be down roughly $300 million to $150 million following the completion of GCI’s $140 million 5G upgrade, the report states.
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Elwood Brehmer, Anchorage Daily News, "No big Alaska earthquake in 2019 means less construction spending in 2020," 31 Jan. 2020 Yet, the blade went through several design upgrades, requested by Bowie over the years.
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Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, "10 of the Best Survival Knives," 27 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Irina Groushevaia, Bon Appétit, "How a Queer-Run Sauna Brought Me Back to My Russian Roots," 19 Feb. 2020 Across the country, motor vehicle offices have been flooded with people trying to upgrade to a Real ID.
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NBC News, "Airports warn of chaos with looming Real ID license deadline," 19 Feb. 2020 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Kristin Anderson, Vogue, "Forget NYFW—Gypsy Sport’s Rio Uribe Costumes a Politicized Pole Dance at Frieze LA," 18 Feb. 2020 The city is putting forth a $5 million bond to upgrade the city’s public safety radio network and purchase items like cardiac monitors, and also replace public transit buses and improve bus stops.
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Aubrey Wieber, Anchorage Daily News, "Here are the bond packages Anchorage will vote on in the April election," 18 Feb. 2020 The city is investing $600 million to upgrade the system.
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Alaa Elassar, CNN, "Fort Lauderdale is facing a $1.8 million fine after 206 million gallons of sewage was discharged into the city's waterways," 18 Feb. 2020 Dearing noted in the committee meeting that despite the new federal funding, counties would need another $60-80 million to completely upgrade their outdated voting machines.
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Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky official: Foreign actors, including Russians, North Koreans, target election system," 18 Feb. 2020 Someone may encourage you to take a closer look at ways to upgrade your financial status.
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oregonlive, "Horoscope for Feb. 17, 2020: Happy birthday Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Scorpio, stay in the loop," 17 Feb. 2020 Some people also like to upgrade their instant ramen with different broths, spices, sauces, herbs, vegetables, and meats.
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Alejandra Salazar, refinery29.com, "Top Ramen Just Made Your Favorite Food A Whole Lot Cuter (& Lazier)," 8 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upgrade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for upgrade
upgrade
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of upgrade
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an area or surface that goes upward : an upward slope
: an occurrence in which one thing is replaced by something better, newer, more valuable, etc.
upgrade
verb English Language Learners Definition of upgrade (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make (something) better by including the most recent information or improvements
: to choose to have or use something more modern, useful, etc.
: to get something (such as a seat on an airplane or a room in a hotel) that is better than what you had originally
See the full definition for upgrade in the English Language Learners Dictionary
upgrade
verbup·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād , əp-ˈgrād \
, əp-ˈgrād \upgraded; upgrading
Kids Definition of upgrade
1 : to raise to a higher grade or position
The restaurant was upgraded from three to four stars.
2 : to improve or replace old software or an old device
upgrade
transitive verbup·grade | \ ˈəp-ˌgrād, ˌəp-ˈ \
\upgraded; upgrading
Medical Definition of upgrade
1 : to assign a less serious status to
upgraded the patient's condition from fair to good
2 : to reclassify (as a cancer, concussion, or bone fracture) to a more serious grade when the grades are numbered from least to most serious
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Time Traveler for upgrade
The first known use of upgrade was in 1873
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