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
Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2025
Powered by Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, Wayne was a young upstart, sliding in as an edgy wildcard capable of pouncing on any beat with ruthless intentions.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 6 June 2025
The upstart, which was founded in 2018, holds 17% of the category’s volume share, edging out AB InBev’s Bud Zero and Heineken’s 0.0 version.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 29 May 2025
The finance drama, created by lapsed investment bankers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, details the vertiginous rise and dizzying crash of the high-stakes trading world of the prestigious firm Pierpoint and its power-hungry upstarts.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
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Noun
Like so many rivalries, this comes steeped in its own lore and stereotypes: River the rich kids from the Belgrano neighbourhood, Boca the plucky upstarts, street fighters from the wrong side of the tracks.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 9 June 2025
Powered by Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, Wayne was a young upstart, sliding in as an edgy wildcard capable of pouncing on any beat with ruthless intentions.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 6 June 2025
The upstart, which was founded in 2018, holds 17% of the category’s volume share, edging out AB InBev’s Bud Zero and Heineken’s 0.0 version.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 29 May 2025
The finance drama, created by lapsed investment bankers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, details the vertiginous rise and dizzying crash of the high-stakes trading world of the prestigious firm Pierpoint and its power-hungry upstarts.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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