up·start
ˈəp-ˌstärt 
1
: one that has risen suddenly (as from a low position to wealth or power) : parvenu
especially
: one that claims more personal importance than is warranted
2
: a start-up enterprise
Examples of upstart in a Sentence
Noun
a young upstart from Harvard who thinks he knows more than the boss
having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
After a splashy debut at Cannes, no major U.S. distributor seemed willing to touch the controversial feature until upstart Briarcliff picked it up.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
At 91, Hall was the oldest-ever member of the House of Representatives, and his voters seemed in no mood to replace him with a young upstart.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
Hims & Hers, the telehealth upstart, will focus on the problems of obesity in the U.S., using a minute-long spot that features a collage of different images focused on the dangers of being overweight.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025
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Noun
In 2023, when a resurgent, upstart Newcastle reached the final of the League Cup — their first of any kind for 24 years — and fans surfed on an ocean of beer in Trafalgar Square, Wembley almost felt like an afterthought.
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
After a splashy debut at Cannes, no major U.S. distributor seemed willing to touch the controversial feature until upstart Briarcliff picked it up.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
At 91, Hall was the oldest-ever member of the House of Representatives, and his voters seemed in no mood to replace him with a young upstart.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025
Hims & Hers, the telehealth upstart, will focus on the problems of obesity in the U.S., using a minute-long spot that features a collage of different images focused on the dangers of being overweight.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for upstart
Dictionary Entries Near upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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