upward
adverb
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Definition of upward
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : in a direction from lower to higher the kite rose upward
b(1) : toward the source (as of a river)
(2) : toward the interior (as of a region)
c : in a higher position held out his hand, palm upward
d : in the upper parts : toward the head : above from the waist upward
2 : toward a higher or better condition or level young lawyers moving upward
3a : to an indefinitely greater amount, figure, or rank from $5 upward
b : toward a greater amount or higher number, degree, or rate attendance figures have risen upward
4 : toward or into later years from youth upward
upward
adjectiveDefinition of upward (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : directed toward or situated in a higher place or level : ascending
2 : rising to a higher pitch
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Examples of upward in a Sentence
Adverb
The road gradually rose upward. She directed my gaze upward. They are moving upward socially and economically. moving upward in the corporate worldAdjective
an upward revision of the vote tally
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
Russia joined last month with OPEC in agreeing to open the taps, and was already inching its output upward. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "Russia Takes Outsize Role in Boosting Oil Supply," 3 July 2018 Print books, thanks in part to pricing strategies that disincentivize e-book purchasing, have inched upward. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Amazon’s Audiobook Boom," 2 July 2018 Fuel prices have inched upward and now are 50% more expensive than in the United States. — Nabih Bulos, latimes.com, "'We are trapped,' one Jordanian says as the country weighs tough choices from the IMF," 9 June 2018 Applications and invitations from those areas inched upward. — Colleen Wright, miamiherald, "This student wrote about racism at elite Miami school. Her essay crashed the website.," 5 June 2018 With the economy roaring, President Trump’s approval rating has inched upward in recent weeks and since midterm elections are usually referendums on the commander-in-chief at the time, this is unambiguously good news for Republicans. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Another Poll Shows Close Race for House Control," 3 June 2018 Montgomery and Arlington counties reported respective drops of 6 percent and 5 percent, while Fairfax County and the city of Alexandria saw their homeless numbers inch upward. — Peter Jamison, Washington Post, "D. C. homeless population drops for second straight year, report finds," 8 May 2018 Three are based in Mobile and two of those have inched their way upward in the Top 100. — Lawrence Specker, AL.com, "Alabama engineering design firms rise in national list," 3 May 2018 As Politifact points out, the study is a bit dated; In 2016, Texas actually inched upward to 42, according to the same and most recent annual study by Education Week. — Fernando Ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "Why Texas is among the top 10 ten worst states for education," 31 Jan. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
This exercise also recruits the inner thighs (particularly during the upward and downward portion of the movement, when your legs are squeezed together), and the muscles along the spine, adds Mansour. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "Naomi Campbell Trains While She Travels With This One Versatile Core Move," 23 Nov. 2018 And that upward boost means more water vapor turns to raindrops. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Houston’s cityscape squeezed extra rain out of Hurricane Harvey," 16 Nov. 2018 But what happens now is that that upward slope of salaries is steeper. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "American capitalism broke in the 1980s. Can it be fixed?," 7 Nov. 2018 Working-class Latinx immigrants in this country, however, have consistently viewed education as the single most important tool for achieving upward social mobility. — Mariana Viera, Teen Vogue, "How Méndez vs. Westminster Helped End Segregated Schools for Latinx Children in 1940s California," 12 Oct. 2018 Using electronics integrated into the frame to maintain the look and feel of normal goggles, these new goggles house a dedicated power button on the right side of the inner frame between the foam and strap for an upward change in tints. — Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, "Oakley Now Packs 3 Tint Lenses Inside Its Snow Goggles," 11 Oct. 2018 One carriage stopped just before the end of the 1,202-yard ride, while the other stopped on an upward track nearly 100 feet in the air. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "Universal Studios Japan roller coaster stalls, leaving riders dangling 100 feet in the air for hours," 2 Oct. 2018 De La Garza drove with Lovato's sisters, Dallas and Madison to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where there at least seemed to be some upward movement. — Amanda Mitchell, Marie Claire, "Demi Lovato's Mom Opens Up About Her Overdose for the First Time," 19 Sep. 2018 The upward strokes also help give a seamless finish, Mallory Jade adds. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Cool-Toned Balayage Is the Unexpected Technique That Adds Dimension to Dark Hair," 13 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'upward.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for upward
upward
adverb
English Language Learners Definition of upward
(Entry 1 of 2)
: from a lower place or level to a higher place or level
: toward the ceiling, sky, etc.
: toward a higher or better condition or position
upward
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of upward (Entry 2 of 2)
: moving or going from a lower place or level to a higher place or level
: moving or going toward the ceiling, sky, etc.
: changing to a larger amount or higher number
See the full definition for upward in the English Language Learners Dictionary
upward
adverb
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Kids Definition of upward
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : in a direction from lower to higher The balloon floated upward.
2 : toward a higher or better state
3 : toward a greater amount or a higher number or rate
4 : toward the head From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat's …— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
upward
adjectiveKids Definition of upward (Entry 2 of 2)
: turned toward or being in a higher place or level an upward gaze an upward movement of prices
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