up-front

1 of 2

adjective

ˌəp-ˈfrənt 

ˈəp-ˌfrənt

: being or coming in or at the front: such as

a(1)

: frank, forthright

(2)

: being in a conspicuous or leading position

b

: paid or payable in advance

c

: playing in a front line (as in football)

up front

2 of 2

adverb

1

: in or at the front

2

: in advance

3

: in an up-front manner : frankly, forthrightly

Synonyms

Adjective

• candid
• direct
• forthcoming
• forthright
• foursquare
• frank
• free-spoken
• freehearted
• honest
• open
• openhearted
• out-front
• outspoken
• plain
• plainspoken
• straight
• straightforward
• unguarded
• unreserved

Examples of up-front in a Sentence

Adjective

some hurt feelings could have been spared if he'd been more up-front about whom he was inviting to the party

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Winners of the $1,000 a week prize can also choose the up-front $1 million prize. —Rhiannon Saegert, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025

If matched with a Waymo robotaxi, Uber users will receive up-front pricing as usual, and the rates will match UberX, Uber Green, Uber Comfort, or Uber Comfort Electric, Uber says. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2025

Adverb

The three-row Hyundai Santa Fe SUV can be had for $329 per month for 36 months with $3,999 up front, and the popular Chevrolet Silverado 1500 entices full-size pickup truck fans at $409 for 26 months with $5,979 due at signing. —Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Remarkably, the Trump administration appears to be engaging with Russia’s message without demanding payment up front. —Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for up-front

• affront
• confront
• exeunt
• forefront
• lakefront
• manhunt
• sederunt
• battlefront
• oceanfront
• riverfront
• waterfront
• blunt