uptick

noun

up·​tick ˈəp-ˌtik How to pronounce uptick (audio)
plural upticks
1
: an increase, rise, or upward trend
For the professional middle class in particular, an uptick in innovation and a return to faster economic growth would solve many problems, and likely reignite income growth.Don Peck
Any near-term uptick in jobs will probably be small, because there's still plenty to be milked from existing workers.Rana Foroohar
2
finance : a stock market transaction at a price above the last previous transaction in the same security
Hong Kong has long required that stocks can only be sold short on upticks, meaning when the last trade of a specific stock in the market was higher than the preceding trade of that stock.Martin Fackler and Keith Bradsher
compare downtick sense 2

Examples of uptick in a Sentence

an uptick in sales over the last fiscal year
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Multiple high-ranking military officials with connections to the Rocket Force, including two former defense ministers, have been removed from their posts in the last two years alone, with official reports hinting at corruption related to the PLA’s uptick in the procurement of weapons. Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025 As sports-betting apps have spread, there has been a definite uptick in public gambling scandals involving athletes. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025 This week, a big payroll processing company reported an uptick in October hiring, for example. NPR, 7 Nov. 2025 Despite the 2025 report (read it here) showing a slight uptick from last year’s 468 to 489 LGBTQ characters across all platforms, that number takes a major blow as more than 200 (41%) of those characters will not return, due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uptick

Word History

Etymology

up entry 2 + tick entry 1

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of uptick was in 1952

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uptick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uptick. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

uptick

noun
up·​tick ˈəp-ˌtik How to pronounce uptick (audio)
: an increase, rise, or upward trend
an uptick in cost
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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