as in arrivistes
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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Recent Examples of upstarts
The craft wave boomed during the 1980s when Big Rock, Boston Beer, Redhook Ale and Sierra Nevada and other upstarts initiated production to challenge the dominance of big brewers like AB InBev and Molson Coors.
—
John Kell, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Leading nominee Lady Gaga, Latin Icon Award recipient Ricky Martin and viral video breakouts Sombr and Conan Gray showcased MTV's commitment to balancing veterans and upstarts during the 2025 VMAs.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
So despite industry complaints that surfaced during the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of a group of rival upstarts that have struck a series of measurement pacts with advertisers, media agencies and TV companies, Nielsen’s work remains the sector standard.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Chreece’s track record of tapping promising upstarts precedes it, with rising stars like Benny the Butcher and Jordan Ward performing in past years.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 15 Aug. 2025
This will affect the upstarts the most, some of which will probably get gobbled up by larger competitors.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
John Kell, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Leading nominee Lady Gaga, Latin Icon Award recipient Ricky Martin and viral video breakouts Sombr and Conan Gray showcased MTV's commitment to balancing veterans and upstarts during the 2025 VMAs.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
So despite industry complaints that surfaced during the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of a group of rival upstarts that have struck a series of measurement pacts with advertisers, media agencies and TV companies, Nielsen’s work remains the sector standard.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Chreece’s track record of tapping promising upstarts precedes it, with rising stars like Benny the Butcher and Jordan Ward performing in past years.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 15 Aug. 2025
This will affect the upstarts the most, some of which will probably get gobbled up by larger competitors.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upstarts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstarts. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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