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
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Founded in Georgia in 2022, LIV is among the younger upstarts looking to disrupt an American RV establishment known to lean too heavily on cheap stick-and-tin constructions.
—
New Atlas,
1 July 2026
More traditional news outlets are growing comfortable with less formal presentations and personalities, part of a gradual coming together of stories news brands and new, digital upstarts who are winning significant slices of attention through newsletters, podcasts and subscription media products.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 June 2026
Time and time again in the history of technology, monopolistic industry leaders that long seemed invincible—from Xerox to IBM to AT&T—have proven vulnerable to agile upstarts and technology advances that broke markets wide open by lowering costs, expanding supply and leapfrogging capabilities.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for upstart
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Noun
The Valkyries have gone from a surprising upstart to looking like a serious threat.
—
Marcus Thompson Ii,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Founded in Georgia in 2022, LIV is among the younger upstarts looking to disrupt an American RV establishment known to lean too heavily on cheap stick-and-tin constructions.
—
New Atlas,
1 July 2026
More traditional news outlets are growing comfortable with less formal presentations and personalities, part of a gradual coming together of stories news brands and new, digital upstarts who are winning significant slices of attention through newsletters, podcasts and subscription media products.
—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 June 2026
Time and time again in the history of technology, monopolistic industry leaders that long seemed invincible—from Xerox to IBM to AT&T—have proven vulnerable to agile upstarts and technology advances that broke markets wide open by lowering costs, expanding supply and leapfrogging capabilities.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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