up·start
ˈəp-ˌstärt 
1
: one that has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power) : parvenu
especially
: one that claims more personal importance than is warranted
2
: a start-up enterprise
Examples of upstart in a Sentence
Noun
a young upstart from Harvard who thinks he knows more than the boss
having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts
Recent Examples on the Web
Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
But Next of Kin was preceded by a short film directed by another local upstart filmmaker, John Frizzell, and when his screening ended, the theater virtually emptied.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
South nearly launched itself from upstart to kingpin last season after winning the Region IV title, unseating longtime champ Dimond.
—Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023
While Google and Apple’s versions seem rather innocuous, there are other versions in the works from upstarts that are decidedly more focused on the wholesale replication of human relationships.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
Officials have been closely watching another upstart Omicron subvariant, BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Spanish upstart long touted as the sport’s next big thing, has emerged ahead of schedule to fulfill every lofty expectation.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
However, the Italians took kindly to this brash new upstart of a timepiece, and by 1994, there was a shortage in that market.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 5 July 2023
From heavy-hitters (Cardi B, Nas, A$AP Rocky, A Boogie, Jay-Z) to upstarts (Lola Brooke, Cash Cobain, Fivio Foreign), NYC has done a great job of re-entering a conversation that Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago had dominated for much of the previous decade.
—Spin Staff, Spin, 24 Aug. 2023
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Noun
In the past year, major tech companies and upstart competitors have been in a race to commercialize new A.I. technologies, which offer transformative possibilities in many domains—including search.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
But Next of Kin was preceded by a short film directed by another local upstart filmmaker, John Frizzell, and when his screening ended, the theater virtually emptied.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
South nearly launched itself from upstart to kingpin last season after winning the Region IV title, unseating longtime champ Dimond.
—Chris Bieri, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023
While Google and Apple’s versions seem rather innocuous, there are other versions in the works from upstarts that are decidedly more focused on the wholesale replication of human relationships.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
Officials have been closely watching another upstart Omicron subvariant, BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023
Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old Spanish upstart long touted as the sport’s next big thing, has emerged ahead of schedule to fulfill every lofty expectation.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
However, the Italians took kindly to this brash new upstart of a timepiece, and by 1994, there was a shortage in that market.
—Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 5 July 2023
From heavy-hitters (Cardi B, Nas, A$AP Rocky, A Boogie, Jay-Z) to upstarts (Lola Brooke, Cash Cobain, Fivio Foreign), NYC has done a great job of re-entering a conversation that Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago had dominated for much of the previous decade.
—Spin Staff, Spin, 24 Aug. 2023
See More
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Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
upstart
noun
up·start
ˈəp-ˌstärt
: a person who has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power)
especially
: one who makes a great show of success
More from Merriam-Webster on upstart
Nglish: Translation of upstart for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of upstart for Arabic Speakers
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