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
Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 1 May 2025
There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of wine glass manufacturers, large and small, heritage and upstart, producing glassware in nearly every corner of the world.
—Jordan Michelman, Wired News, 25 Apr. 2025
That creates a huge barrier to entry for upstarts in the space.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
There is the Triple Threat match for the NXT Title featuring the champion Oba Femi, former champion Trick Williams, and young upstart Je’Von Evans.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
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.
Noun
Back in 2022, e-commerce giant and relative upstart movie studio Amazon promised to spend around $1 billion each year on theatrical releases, a figure that would fund between 12 and 15 films annually.
—Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 1 May 2025
There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of wine glass manufacturers, large and small, heritage and upstart, producing glassware in nearly every corner of the world.
—Jordan Michelman, Wired News, 25 Apr. 2025
That creates a huge barrier to entry for upstarts in the space.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
There is the Triple Threat match for the NXT Title featuring the champion Oba Femi, former champion Trick Williams, and young upstart Je’Von Evans.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share