uptick

noun

up·​tick ˈəp-ˌtik 

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

Synonyms of uptick

• increase
• boost
• gain
• addition
• rise

Examples of uptick in a Sentence

an uptick in sales over the last fiscal year

Recent Examples on the Web

Part of the uptick owes to a federal expansion that made more students eligible for Pell grants last year. —Collin Binkley, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025

The evidence is in subreddits like r/quitting7oh and at rehab centers, where doctors are reporting dramatic upticks in patients that arrive hopelessly addicted to 7-OH. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 10 Dec. 2025

With an uptick in flu infections and a new strain at play, getting vaccinated now is key, experts say. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Her murder occurred during an uptick in gun violence in the surrounding area in a short time frame, which alarmed residents. —David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

up entry 2 + tick entry 1

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for uptick

• broomstick
• dipstick
• homesick
• joystick
• lipstick
• nonstick
• pickwick
• picnic
• redbrick
• seasick
• sidekick
• slapstick

Kids Definition

uptick

noun

up·​tick ˈəp-ˌtik 

: an increase, rise, or upward trend

an uptick in cost