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
Since the start of the fintech industry, upstarts have needed access to consumers’ bank data to perform basic functions like transferring money and making budgeting recommendations.
—
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Investors pumped money into the riskiest assets, lifting money-losing tech upstarts to astronomical valuations.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 18 July 2025
And while some stray upstarts have tried to revive the stereoscopic gaming dream in the years since, the idea seemed destined to be a footnote in gaming tech history.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The political upstart will now take on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is Black, and running as an independent.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Investors pumped money into the riskiest assets, lifting money-losing tech upstarts to astronomical valuations.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 18 July 2025
And while some stray upstarts have tried to revive the stereoscopic gaming dream in the years since, the idea seemed destined to be a footnote in gaming tech history.
—Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2025
The political upstart will now take on New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is Black, and running as an independent.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstart
Noun
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Where’s our charming arriviste?—
Jason Gay,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2020
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Compared with some of her peers, she was initially seen as an arriviste.—
Caitlin Moscatello,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2023
Noun
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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
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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
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This water-friendly sneaker has a drop heel that transforms it into a slide, and was built for anglers, boaters, and coastal adventurers who demand both function and comfort.—
Clay Abney,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Aug. 2025
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Summit Saturday will be open for friends, families and solo adventurers on Aug. 16.—
Debra Skodack,
Kansas City Star,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But Ahlers’ Jack is not content to become a nouveau riche nightmare, having spent the bulk of recent episodes dragging his feet about leaving the home and his employers, Agnes and Ada (Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon), whom he’s known for so long.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2025
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Arguably the series’ silent star, the jewelry reflects the intense competition among New York’s nouveau riche to outshine one another.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstart. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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