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
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026 In their place are upstarts such as the Philadelphia Flyers, who last qualified in 2020. —John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026 That's when the upstarts take over, and the once-revolutionary companies face the risk of becoming relics. —Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Digital upstarts like Substack, Puck, Semafor and Status are planning events ahead of the dinner. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026 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
The desire to merge audiences — younger viewers for the mainstream news groups and broader audiences for the digital upstarts — is at the crux of many of these new agreements, which are expected to get more ambitious as time progresses. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026 In their place are upstarts such as the Philadelphia Flyers, who last qualified in 2020. —John Wawrow, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026 That's when the upstarts take over, and the once-revolutionary companies face the risk of becoming relics. —Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Digital upstarts like Substack, Puck, Semafor and Status are planning events ahead of the dinner. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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