Synonyms of upstart

upstart

noun

ˈəp-ˌstärt 

as in arriviste

one who has recently acquired wealth and social position

having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arriviste
• parvenu
• adventurer
• nouveau riche
• comer
• snob
• moneybags
• nabob
• social climber
• arrivé
• fat cat

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of upstart

For the last decade, upstarts like those owned by Mammoth have challenged the relevance and longstanding dominance of legacy giants like Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Kimberly-Clark. — Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026

More traditional news outlets are growing comfortable with less formal presentations and personalities, part of a gradual coming together of stories news brands and new, digital upstarts who are winning significant slices of attention through newsletters, podcasts and subscription media products. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 June 2026

But other brands caught on to GoPro's game, and upstarts like the DJI Osmo Action 6 and the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 come with larger sensors and lower prices than the Hero13 Black. — Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 11 June 2026

Time and time again in the history of technology, monopolistic industry leaders that long seemed invincible—from Xerox to IBM to AT&T—have proven vulnerable to agile upstarts and technology advances that broke markets wide open by lowering costs, expanding supply and leapfrogging capabilities. — Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026