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
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
For Mike Cavanaugh, UConn hockey, the moment has arrived
In this in-state rivalry, UConn has long been the underdog, the upstart.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
What to watch: Malik, a source said, is eyeing more investments in the finance space, such as a commercial bank or insurance company, to continue to support his portfolio of conservative upstarts.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
While Zara has successfully held off competition from new players and online upstarts globally, the U.S. is its second largest market and the tit-for-tat tariff trade wars emerging are clearly front and center of its thoughts right now.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
There’s also a possibility that Orton could face an upstart from NXT.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
For Mike Cavanaugh, UConn hockey, the moment has arrived
In this in-state rivalry, UConn has long been the underdog, the upstart.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
What to watch: Malik, a source said, is eyeing more investments in the finance space, such as a commercial bank or insurance company, to continue to support his portfolio of conservative upstarts.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025
While Zara has successfully held off competition from new players and online upstarts globally, the U.S. is its second largest market and the tit-for-tat tariff trade wars emerging are clearly front and center of its thoughts right now.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 12 Mar. 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 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share