upper-crust 1 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upper crust

2 of 2

noun

1
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
2
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
Last year’s relentlessly twisty The Girlfriend, on Prime Video, cast Olivia Cooke as a slightly unhinged working-class striver at odds with her upper-crust boyfriend’s even more deranged mother (Wright). — Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 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
  1. aristocratic
  2. aristocracy
  3. nobility
  4. best
  5. upper class
  6. elite
  7. gentry
  8. elect
Adjective
  • As models walked out into the museum gardens with an air of aristocratic tradition, the show became exquisite, almost cinematic.
    — Laia Farran Graves, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • The Sunday Times has reported claims about Farage’s financial relationship with George Cottrell, an aristocratic, crypto-gambling entrepreneur and on-off aide to the Reform UK leader.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of aristocratic
Noun
  • Orangeries, once a status symbol for European aristocracy, are a glamorous accoutrement in large town or country houses.
    — Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • At last, Jones also thought, there was a chance to spotlight the dynamic between North Wales‘ working-class community and its aristocracy on the big screen, a corner of Britain’s social history that has long been sidelined.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
Definition of aristocracy
Noun
  • Gustaf Lagerbielke, a 26-year-old center back, comes from a line of nobility, particularly Counts, in his home country.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • This piece of jewelry, worn by Princess Elisabeth, was a wedding gift from the Belgian nobility to Mathilde on the occasion of her wedding in 1999.
    — Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 24 June 2026
Definition of nobility
Noun
  • The longer races are brutally hard, but Kerstin loves helping other runners pursue their personal bests.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The most productive game of his career came in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, with personal bests of 157 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 June 2026
Definition of best
Noun
  • The discovery was made among human bones at a burial site that researchers believe was used for members of the society’s upper classes.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Since February, archaeologists have discovered eight human skeletons, bronze and gold jewelry, pottery and other artifacts indicating a ceremonial burial of wealthy people or members of the society’s upper classes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of upper class
Noun
  • That initial ruling also triggered a furious response from her nationalist allies at home and abroad, feeding an anti-establishment narrative of an elite conspiring to shut them out.
    — Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • While the elite pick up their paddles after a vampiric rest in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, 87% of Americans (out of 5,000 surveyed in December 2025) believe the country is in a crisis because of its unaffordability.
    — Hunter Lacey, Allure, 7 July 2026
Definition of elite
Noun
  • 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
  • Grammer will play Lord Fairfax, the unofficial leader of the Virginia gentry who has a complicated relationship to young George Washington as both his crucial mentor and as the father of his romantic rival.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of gentry
Noun
  • But his situation is actually fairly complicated, in part because of how the Hall of Fame elects candidates.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Lyons had joined Fiserv that January as president and CEO-elect.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Definition of elect

Browse Nearby Words

upperclassmen
upper-crust
upper crust
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Cite this Entry

“Upper-crust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-crust. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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