: the chiefly northerly sections of a state
also
: the chiefly rural part of a state when the major metropolitan area is in the south
Examples of upstate in a Sentence
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Before skeleton, Florian was a two-time All-American Alpine ski racer at Clarkson University in upstate New York.
—
Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
At the time of Porter’s murder, Fleetwood had been out of prison less than two years after pleading guilty to manslaughter and serving seven years — the minimum — upstate at Cape Vincent Correctional.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
In upstate South Carolina, just past the eastern Georgia border, the NWS said up to 8 inches of snow is possible.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Abrams invited Hobert out to Long Pond Recording Studio upstate to join sessions for the album, and Hobert contributed background vocals.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
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Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
At the time of Porter’s murder, Fleetwood had been out of prison less than two years after pleading guilty to manslaughter and serving seven years — the minimum — upstate at Cape Vincent Correctional.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
In upstate South Carolina, just past the eastern Georgia border, the NWS said up to 8 inches of snow is possible.
—Caroline Silva, AJC.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Abrams invited Hobert out to Long Pond Recording Studio upstate to join sessions for the album, and Hobert contributed background vocals.
—Carrie Battan, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upstate
Cite this Entry
“Upstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstate. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upstate
adjective
up·state
ˈəp-ˌstāt 
: of, relating to, or typical of a part of a state away from a large city and especially to the north
upstate
noun or adverb
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