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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upstart
In their place are upstarts such as the Philadelphia Flyers, who last qualified in 2020.
—
John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
That's when the upstarts take over, and the once-revolutionary companies face the risk of becoming relics.
—Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Digital upstarts like Substack, Puck, Semafor and Status are planning events ahead of the dinner.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Nike also faces intensifying competition from upstarts like Hoka and resurgent rivals such as Adidas in the footwear category.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upstart
John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
That's when the upstarts take over, and the once-revolutionary companies face the risk of becoming relics.
—Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Digital upstarts like Substack, Puck, Semafor and Status are planning events ahead of the dinner.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Nike also faces intensifying competition from upstarts like Hoka and resurgent rivals such as Adidas in the footwear category.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstart
Noun
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And yet, the digital arrivistes could only gain so much traction with a broader customer base and needed a boost from tie-ins with old-school counterparts.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Certainly there’s a long and distinguished tradition of associating Jewish arrivistes with entrepreneurialism, avarice, and clannishness.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In 1952, backed by little more than his reputation as a war hero and a fortune staked by his parvenu father, 35-year-old John F. Kennedy swiped a Senate seat from Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, himself a wealthy combat veteran.—
Kevin Mahnken,
The New Republic,
1 Sep. 2020
-
Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.—
Saritha Rai,
Fortune,
29 July 2019
Noun
-
Eliastam was met by fellow adventurer Andy Dorantes and members of ALE.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
-
Around that time, a celebrity biologist and adventurer named Robert Marc Lehmann showed up in a gray-camouflage wetsuit.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Emulation of upper-crust speech norms became popular among the nouveau riche.—
Valerie M. Fridland,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
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Displays of it, particularly in architecture or public art, are often perceived as tacky, kitschy or, heaven forbid, nouveau riche.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstart. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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