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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upstart
The Lone Star State is no longer an upstart, but rather a leading exporter of conservative policy and jurisprudence.
—
The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2024
Plus, for the WNBA players competing in this upstart league, Unrivaled offers an opportunity to bank significant offseason income, in the United States.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Tech giants like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and smaller upstarts have long been pushing virtual reality headsets.
—Kate Conger, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The franchise endured three wretched seasons before emerging as upstarts in 2022 and winning the American League East in 2023.
—The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstart 
The New Yorker, 24 Dec. 2024
Plus, for the WNBA players competing in this upstart league, Unrivaled offers an opportunity to bank significant offseason income, in the United States.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
Tech giants like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and smaller upstarts have long been pushing virtual reality headsets.
—Kate Conger, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The franchise endured three wretched seasons before emerging as upstarts in 2022 and winning the American League East in 2023.
—The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstart
Noun
-
Where’s our charming arriviste?—
Jason Gay,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2020
-
Compared with some of her peers, she was initially seen as an arriviste.—
Caitlin Moscatello,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2023
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
-
Giacomo Casanova, who lived from 1725 to 1798, was a lawyer, a writer, an adventurer, a gambler and a scoundrel who found himself on the wrong side of the law.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
The Denver Post,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Fireproof Lockbox $19 at Amazon Keeping your valuables safe is a need for all travelers, and this option is great for solo adventurers who pack light or want to keep their items on hand.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The battle of the nouveau riche could just as easily be referred to as the Oil Firm.—
Darren Richman,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Advertisement Who does Johnson consider nouveau riche?—
Ben Bolch,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstart. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share