up·hill | \ ˈəp-ˈhil 
\
\Definition of uphill
(Entry 1 of 3)
1 : upward on a hill or incline
2 : against difficulties
seemed to be talking uphill— Willa Cather
uphill
nounup·hill | \ ˈəp-ˌhil \
\Definition of uphill (Entry 2 of 3)
: rising ground : ascent
uphill
adjectiveup·hill | \ ˈəp-ˌhil \
\Definition of uphill (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for uphill
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Adjective
- arduous,
- Augean,
- backbreaking,
- challenging,
- demanding,
- difficult,
- effortful,
- exacting,
- formidable,
- grueling
- (or gruelling),
- hard,
- heavy,
- hellacious,
- herculean,
- killer,
- laborious,
- moiling,
- murderous,
- pick-and-shovel,
- rigorous,
- rough,
- rugged,
- severe,
- stiff,
- strenuous,
- sweaty,
- tall,
- testing,
- toilsome,
- tough
Antonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Adjective
- cheap,
- easy,
- effortless,
- facile,
- light,
- mindless,
- simple,
- soft,
- undemanding
Examples of uphill in a Sentence
Adverb
It is easier to ride a bicycle downhill than uphill. Noun
no matter where you go bicycle touring, the uphills always seem to outnumber the downhills Adjective
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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb To the Mystery Spot, where ball bearings rolled uphill.
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Elizabeth Mccracken, Harpers Magazine, "The Souvenir Museum," 5 Jan. 2021 Pumped hydro—where excess power is used to pump water uphill into a reservoir, from where it can be released into a hydroelectric plant on demand—is a cost-efficient and clean option.
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Rochelle Toplensky, WSJ, "Green Energy Will Need More Storage Space," 29 Dec. 2020 The distance is just under 300 yards, steeply uphill.
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Outdoor Life, "7 Rules You Must Follow to Punch Your Big-Game Tag on Public Land," 10 Dec. 2020 The road twists downhill and crosses the sandy riparian strip before heading uphill again to a cattle guard and fence line signed for U Cross Ranch.
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Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, "Off the beaten path: This Arizona hike unfolds with views and historical artifacts," 3 Dec. 2020 Then, toward sunset, the herd would sneak around the despairing hunters and head uphill again.
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David E. Petzal, Field & Stream, "Why Elk Are My Favorite Big-Game Animals to Hunt," 14 Dec. 2020 Follow the sign and head uphill to return to the Trillium Sno-Park.
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oregonlive, "Incredible views make Trillium Lake a classic winter hike on Mount Hood," 7 Dec. 2020 While working uphill for wins down South, those who want to see Biden go big also know that means getting creative.
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Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, "Will Biden Repeat Obama’s Mistakes?," 12 Nov. 2020 Another successful San Francisco entrepreneur, Behrend Joost, was operating a small water business, the Mountain Spring Water Company, drawing on springs near his home, which was about 1,000 feet west and uphill of Clarke’s Folly.
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Gary Kamiya, SFChronicle.com, "It’s one of S.F.’s strangest houses. Its history is stranger still," 31 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Turn 3 is an uphill left with a slightly decreasing radius and banking that falls away just past the apex of the corner.
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Bradley Iger, Ars Technica, "Lamborghini’s Huracán Evo RWD is made for maximum fun, not lap times," 25 Oct. 2020 In the uphill-only 5-mile run, Eric Vilce won by more than five minutes in 32:10.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Taylor Turney and Megan Neale lead the pack in the punishing Arctic Valley Run," 27 Sep. 2020 Airports across the country are facing a steep uphill climb.
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Randy Tucker, Cincinnati.com, "COVID-19: CVG could lose up to $91M over next two years due to pandemic," 20 May 2020 Prepare for a rigorous uphill climb to your destination, but know the view is well worth the effort.
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Macy Sirmans, Travel + Leisure, "Everything You Need to See, Do, and Eat on an Arizona Road Trip," 19 May 2020 The Democratic candidate faces a steep uphill climb against Gov. Eric Holcomb, especially in the financial department.
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Matthew Vantryon, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana Democratic gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers names running mate," 8 May 2020 Now, that pursuit is on hold, and Ovechkin will be skating just a little more uphill in his pursuit of history.
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Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "Coronavirus shutdown can alter legacy of legends – from LeBron James to Serena Williams," 19 Mar. 2020 The second jump: Determined to stomp the jump and ski out of the landing, Daiek crossed back over the road and booted uphill for Round 2.
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Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "Ski-jumping over Highway 50? Here’s how Josh Daiek did it," 8 Feb. 2020 The whole process just became a steep uphill climb.
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Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, "'Daunting and unsettling.' What it's like to give birth in the midst of a global pandemic," 17 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective On policy grounds, Republicans face an uphill battle to reclaim national political power over the next four years.
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Matt Ford, The New Republic, "The Republican Plot to Rig the 2024 Election," 15 Jan. 2021 That's a high bar because getting the Cabinet to agree and the Congress to agree is a serious uphill fight.
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Alison Medley, Chron, "What can be done about Trump now?," 7 Jan. 2021 That uphill fight will begin Sunday when the Lions visit the Bears, who were part of the focus of Bevell’s message to the team during an 8-minute meeting.
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Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions coach Darrell Bevell to players: Let’s try to get a wild-card playoff spot," 2 Dec. 2020 An affidavit filed by Mr. Trump’s legal team intended to prove voter fraud in Michigan apparently used data taken from counties in Minnesota, the latest in a series of embarrassments that have made the president’s uphill legal fight even steeper.
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Nick Corasaniti, New York Times, "Georgia and Michigan Deliver Blows to Trump’s Efforts to Undo the Election," 20 Nov. 2020 Facing an uphill fight in a state where Republicans still outnumber them, Democrats’ chances will hinge on mobilizing both die-hard progressives and more moderate voters, as well as those who typically sit out runoff elections.
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Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times, "Georgia to decide Senate control — and shape of Biden presidency," 12 Nov. 2020 But the seat was always seen as an uphill fight for Democrats and not a key pick up for Democrats to gain control of the Senate.
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Christal Hayes, USA TODAY, "The battle to control the Senate got tighter overnight. Here's where things stand.," 4 Nov. 2020 Elections forecasters are now including Iowa, Ohio and Texas among tossup states, a sign of the uphill fight President Donald Trump is facing on Election Day.
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Ryan Teague Beckwith, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Rebuffs Advisers, Focuses on Hunter Biden: Campaign Update," 29 Oct. 2020 Joshua Barnett is facing an uphill fight against Rep. Ruben Gallego in the 7th District and Rep. Greg Stanton faces Dave Giles in the 9th District.
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Bob Christie, Star Tribune, "Arizona Democrats target once-solidly red 6th District," 28 Oct. 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for uphill
uphill
adverbEnglish Language Learners Definition of uphill
(Entry 1 of 2)
: toward the top of a hill or mountain
uphill
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of uphill (Entry 2 of 2)
: going or sloping up toward the top of a hill or mountain
: not easy : difficult to do, deal with, etc.
See the full definition for uphill in the English Language Learners Dictionary
uphill
adverbup·hill | \ ˈəp-ˈhil \
\Kids Definition of uphill
(Entry 1 of 2)
: in an upward direction
The bus lurched around a corner and started to go uphill.— Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins
uphill
adjectiveup·hill | \ ˈəp-ˌhil \
\Kids Definition of uphill (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : going up
an uphill trail
2 : difficult sense 1 His recovery will be an uphill battle.
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Time Traveler for uphill
The first known use of uphill was in 1535
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