upstart

1 of 2

verb

up·​start ˌəp-ˈstärt How to pronounce upstart (audio)
upstarted; upstarting; upstarts

intransitive verb

: to jump up (as to one's feet) suddenly

upstart

2 of 2

noun

up·​start ˈəp-ˌstärt How to pronounce upstart (audio)
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
upstart adjective

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
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Noun
Actually … For all the newfound parity, there’s a plausible scenario where the same three SEC teams that made last year’s CFP (Texas, Georgia and Tennessee) make it again, along with Alabama, which is not exactly an upstart. Seth Emerson, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025 The Kim sisters have taken over the Flynns’ company, ENCOM, while bratty upstart Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) runs Dillinger Systems under the watchful, but ultimately powerless, eye of his mother (Gillian Anderson). Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025 The good news is the Buccaneers still have two young upstarts who are leading the way. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 An upstart named Ronin just broke Magawa’s record at only five years old by uncovering 109 landmines. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upstart

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upstart was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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

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