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)
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
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
The changes also include up-front deposit amounts that license holders would pay toward fees the county charges to issue licenses and manage state hemp requirements, such as testing for THC levels.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For mileage hounds looking for the best odds of nabbing a seat up front, the airline with the largest percentage of seats devoted to first is All Nippon Airways, with about 3.2 percent of its capacity devoted to this class, according to the Cirium data.
—Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for up-front
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.
Adjective
The slugging first baseman has agreed to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays on a 14-year, $500 million contract extension that ranks second only to Juan Soto in terms of up-front dollars.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
The changes also include up-front deposit amounts that license holders would pay toward fees the county charges to issue licenses and manage state hemp requirements, such as testing for THC levels.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Pairing Graham with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker up front could bolster a unit that ranked 32nd in defensive EPA per play last season.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
For mileage hounds looking for the best odds of nabbing a seat up front, the airline with the largest percentage of seats devoted to first is All Nippon Airways, with about 3.2 percent of its capacity devoted to this class, according to the Cirium data.
—Barbara Peterson, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for up-front
Cite this Entry
“Up-front.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/up-front. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share