UPPER CRUST Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

upper-crust 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of upper-crust

as in aristocratic

of high birth, rank, or station an interior designer who has intimate knowledge of the tastes of her upper-crust clientele

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upper crust

2 of 2

noun

as in aristocracy

individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class the conference was a gathering of the upper crust of the computer programming industry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nobility

the highest class in a society a specialty clothing store for the upper crust

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of upper-crust

Adjective

Emulation of upper-crust speech norms became popular among the nouveau riche. — Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026 The show follows two upper-crust friends, Julia (O’Hara) and Jane (Byrne), who discover their former lover Maurice (Mark Consuelos) has touched down in London while their husbands are on a golf trip. — Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026

Noun

Link, whose real name is Dylan, helped to create Alex prior to the mass extinction event that sent the world's upper crust into Paradise. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Mar. 2026 One measurement among many that marks the Broncos’ ascent back to the NFL’s upper crust in recent years is the seemingly annual attempts to pillage Sean Payton’s coaching staff. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upper-crust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper-crust

Adjective

Kumari plays Sahibjaan, born in a graveyard to a courtesan who was spurned by her husband’s aristocratic family.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
The new European aristocratic romance, which has its world premiere at international TV conference Mipcom tonight, ditches the fairy tale for a more realistic take on an ordinary girl who finds her prince.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of aristocratic

Noun

Of course, one entertainer who isn’t in that category would seem to be a natural fit for Arrowhead — the one who has married into Kansas City’s aristocracy.

— Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
The ‘Baronessa’ was Venetian aristocracy and lived in a vast rococo palace with Guardis and Canalettos in the drawing room.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of aristocracy

Noun

Legal recognition of the country’s nobility stopped in 1946 and for aristocrats such as Princess Giacinta Ruspoli, upkeep of the family’s ancestral homes doesn’t come cheap.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Thomas Jefferson is believed to have loved these wines and today they are enjoyed by Italian nobility and discerning wine lovers the world over.

— Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of nobility

Noun

Annie Vinatieri, a Sugarloaf Township protester, observed that the data center opponents are a combination of working, middle, and upper classes, mostly white, but definitely nonpartisan, including many who are new to environmental protests.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
In Mexico, Lotería was initially played by the upper classes but gradually gained mass popularity via traveling fairs (called ferias).

— Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of upper class

Noun

Reynolds transformed a young Pacific Islander into a monumental figure of European portraiture, giving Mai the grandeur and authority normally reserved for the elite.

— Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Their mobilization since then has mirrored a wider wave of youth protests in other countries, particularly in South Asia, where Gen Z demonstrators have challenged political elites.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of elite

Noun

When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

Definition of gentry

Noun

The first meeting was in November of last year at the White House, when Mamdani was mayor elect, and the second was in February, also at the White House.

— Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
The governor-elect faced a fight over removing Nick Balletto, who had initially been dismissive of Lamont as a candidate, as the Democratic state chair.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of elect

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upperclassmen

upper-crust

upper crust

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Style

“Upper-crust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-crust. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of upper-crust

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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