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
Laura Bratton, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
In the 1964 election, Unruh supported Gaffney over upstart challenger Brown, who was backed by the political machine of then-San Francisco Assemblyman Phillip Burton.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
An upstart campaign Haley entered the GOP presidential race in February of last year, becoming the first person after Trump to launch a 2024 bid.
—Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024
When the company was a small upstart, Keen regularly listed his name on the formation documents of the company and its various subsidiaries in states across America.
—William Turton, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024
Little could anybody at the time imagine that the Salon would be forgotten while the ‘upstarts’ would fundamentally alter the course of art history.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Only two teams in the Sweet 16 are from outside the Power Six conferences, and those two ( Gonzaga and San Diego State) are anything but upstarts.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Only two teams in the Sweet 16 are from outside the Power Six conferences, and those two (Gonzaga and San Diego State) are anything but upstarts.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The Super Bowl was born after the venerable National Football League agreed in 1966 to merge with its upstart rival, the American Football League.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024
Noun
Much of that trend owes thanks to Astera Labs and Reddit— an AI upstart and established social media company, and two of the biggest IPOs of the year so far, raising a cumulative $1.5 billion.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
In the 1964 election, Unruh supported Gaffney over upstart challenger Brown, who was backed by the political machine of then-San Francisco Assemblyman Phillip Burton.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
An upstart campaign Haley entered the GOP presidential race in February of last year, becoming the first person after Trump to launch a 2024 bid.
—Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024
When the company was a small upstart, Keen regularly listed his name on the formation documents of the company and its various subsidiaries in states across America.
—William Turton, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024
Little could anybody at the time imagine that the Salon would be forgotten while the ‘upstarts’ would fundamentally alter the course of art history.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Only two teams in the Sweet 16 are from outside the Power Six conferences, and those two ( Gonzaga and San Diego State) are anything but upstarts.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Only two teams in the Sweet 16 are from outside the Power Six conferences, and those two (Gonzaga and San Diego State) are anything but upstarts.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024
The Super Bowl was born after the venerable National Football League agreed in 1966 to merge with its upstart rival, the American Football League.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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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