uphill

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adverb up·hill \ ˈəp-ˈhil \

Definition of uphill

1 :upward on a hill or incline

2 :against difficulties

seemed to be talking uphill
—Willa Cather

See uphill defined for English-language learners

See uphill defined for kids

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

It is easier to ride a bicycle downhill than uphill.

Recent Examples of uphill from the Web

One of the teams believed to be on the short list of national championship contenders will be forced to run uphill for the next three months.

— kevin scarbinsky, AL.com, "The Alabama-FSU loser has a real shot to be the first two-loss playoff team," 27 Aug. 2017
The blaze had burned uphill toward residential neighborhoods but hundreds of firefighters swarmed the area and kept the flames at bay, authorities said.

— joseph serna, latimes.com, "Crews make gains on California wildfires that forced evacuations, destroyed homes," 24 July 2017
The fire broke out in a canyon about 3:50 p.m. and spread uphill fast, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials said.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fires threaten homes in southeastern San Digeo," 15 July 2017
And just blindly walking uphill toward peaks of efficiency almost never leads to a major summit.

— john bohannon, Science | AAAS, "A new breed of scientist, with brains of silicon," 5 July 2017
Before long, those families had to haul the homes uphill and give them basements.

— grant segall, cleveland.com, "Fairport Harbor Finns celebrate museum's and nation's milestones (photos)," 30 June 2017
SIGN UP NOW — Mitch McConnell is still pushing, steeply uphill, to move his version of a health-care overhaul.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: It’s going to be a good summer for big banks," 29 June 2017
Fifty homes were put under mandatory evacuation orders on the suburban edges of Burbank, where flames raced uphill through tinder-dry grass.

— Washington Post, "Arizona braces for winds as wildfires sweep West," 29 June 2017
Spurred by warmer growing seasons, such shrubby vegetation as alders and willows have crept uphill, replacing alpine tundra the sheep feed on.

— rick sinnott, Alaska Dispatch News, "Whither our Chugach Dall sheep?," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uphill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of uphill

1535

uphill

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noun up·hill \ ˈəp-ˌhil \

Definition of uphill

:rising ground :ascent

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills

Recent Examples of uphill from the Web

By our next break, my legs were revolting against that slow, steady churn uphill.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Summit beatdowns: When the best decision you can make is the most disappointing," 3 Aug. 2017
Both were strong performances for the out-and-back course with its long uphill stretches in the second half.

— bill blewett, The Aegis, "Rogers, Sharpe set event records at annual Catch a Pig 5K," 20 July 2017
Maybe the idea of doing a lot of walking uphill on cobblestones is not your ideal vacation.

— kevin nguyen, GQ, "Is Portugal the New Iceland?," 10 July 2017
This is to say nothing of uphill mowing and bagging.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Mulch Leaves With a Lawn Mower," 7 July 2017
Shaking off an equipment glitch in the furious finishing sprint, Peter Sagan bagged his eighth career Tour de France stage victory on Monday with an impressive display of power and quick-thinking on a short, sharp final uphill dash.

— associated press, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Peter Sagan wins Tour de France Stage 3," 3 July 2017
At dawn the next morning, residents slip into white clothing and red bandanas and set out on a four-mile trek uphill to the highest point in Haro.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Cheers To This Spanish Town’s Annual Wine Battle," 30 June 2017
Going uphill was suddenly as easy as going downhill.

— mary wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, "E-bikes set to make inroads in the Midwest," 25 June 2017
The second half would prove an uphill climb for the Sounders, down by a man.

— geoff baker, The Seattle Times, "Clint Dempsey’s goal in stoppage time allows Sounders to salvage point in Portland," 25 June 2017

First Known Use of uphill

1548

uphill Synonyms

Synonyms

acclivity, hill, rise, upgrade, ascent, uprise

Antonyms

declension, decline, declivity, descent, dip, downgrade, downhill, drop-off, fall, hang, hanging

Related Words

cant, diagonal, glacis, grade, gradient, inclination, incline, lean, pitch, rake, tilt; climb, hump, mound, ridge, swell

Near Antonyms

basin, depression, hollow

uphill

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adjective up·hill \ ˈəp-ˌhil \

Definition of uphill

1 :situated on elevated ground

2 a :going up :ascending

b :being the higher one or part especially of a set; specifically :being nearer the top of an incline

3 :difficult, laborious

See uphill defined for English-language learners

Examples of uphill in a Sentence

It has been an uphill battle for her to get an education.
an uphill battle to eradicate poverty in an area of the state that has never known anything else

Recent Examples of uphill from the Web

What followed was an uphill climb through the arena football league ranks, starting with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2013.

— john wawrow, The Seattle Times, "Bills’ Mudge puts milking goats aside to pursue NFL dream," 30 Aug. 2017
No more money Funding the program has become an uphill battle in recent years.

— judy l. thomas, kansascity, "As domestic terrorism like Charlottesville rises, federal program to fight it shuts down," 20 Aug. 2017
Booker’s efforts look poised to face an uphill battle in Congress: No Republican members have yet backed the statues’ removal, and House Speaker Paul Ryan said through a spokesman that the matter should be left to the states that placed them there.

— matt ford, The Atlantic, "Will Congress Remove Confederate Statues From the Capitol?," 17 Aug. 2017
Like all third parties, the American Solidarity Party faces an uphill battle in its quest to become an electoral force.

— jeff cimmino, National Review, "The American Solidarity Party Charts Its Own Path," 7 Aug. 2017
Freshmen Quinton Bohanna, Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald and Chris Whittaker were listed as linemen by UK on signing day but, like all freshmen, face an uphill climb to be physically ready to compete against the SEC’s better offensive lines.

— jon hale, The Courier-Journal, "Five questions facing Kentucky football in preseason camp," 27 July 2017
ULM can continue to build on 2016, but a tougher schedule that features Memphis, Florida State, Southern Miss and Auburn makes a bowl berth an uphill climb.

— james crepea, AL.com, "Auburn opponent early scouting report: ULM," 27 July 2017
Organizers of the group, which faces an uphill battle, would have to gather more than 51,000 petition signatures in 60 days to force a recall election against Barrett, who was re-elected last year with 70% of the vote.

— daniel bice, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bice: Firefighters union quietly helping with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett recall," 17 July 2017
Of course, wanting to drastically restrict legal immigration and actually getting a bill passed to do so are two very different things, and Team Trump faces a steep uphill battle, given that G.O.P. lawmakers like Graham and McCain are against it.

— vanityfair.com, "Trump’s Real Immigration Endgame Comes Into View," 13 July 2017

First Known Use of uphill

1613

uphill Synonyms

Synonyms

arduous, Augean, backbreaking, challenging, demanding, difficult, effortful, exacting, formidable, grueling (or gruelling), heavy, hellacious, herculean, killer, laborious, moiling, murderous, pick-and-shovel, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, stiff, strenuous, sweaty, tall, testing, toilsome, tough, hard

Antonyms

cheap, easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, soft, undemanding

Near Antonyms

achievable, clear, doable, elementary, manageable, uncomplicated; comforting, gentle, painless, relaxed, smooth, soothing; accessible, friendly, idiotproof, user-friendly

UPHILL Defined for English Language Learners

uphill

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adverb

Definition of uphill for English Language Learners

: toward the top of a hill or mountain

uphill

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adjective

Definition of uphill for English Language Learners

: going or sloping up toward the top of a hill or mountain
: not easy : difficult to do, deal with, etc.

UPHILL Defined for Kids

uphill

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adverb up·hill \ ˈəp-ˈhil \

Definition of uphill for Students

:in an upward direction

The bus lurched around a corner and started to go uphill.
—Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins

uphill

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adjective up·hill \ ˈəp-ˌhil \

Definition of uphill for Students

1 :going up

an uphill trail

2 :difficult 1

His recovery will be an uphill battle.

Learn More about uphill

See words that rhyme with uphill Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uphill Spanish Central: Translation of uphill Nglish: Translation of uphill for Spanish speakers

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uphill

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