variants
or upwards
1
a
: in a direction from lower to higher
the kite rose upward
b(1)
: toward the source (as of a river)
(2)
: toward the interior (as of a region)
c
: in a higher position
held out his hand, palm upward
d
: in the upper parts : toward the head : above
from the waist upward
2
: toward a higher or better condition or level
young lawyers moving upward
3
a
: to an indefinitely greater amount, figure, or rank
from $5 upward
b
: toward a greater amount or higher number, degree, or rate
attendance figures have risen upward
4
: toward or into later years
from youth upward
1
a
: directed toward or situated in a higher place or level : ascending
an upward movement/flow
b
: directed toward the top (as of a piece of paper)
an upward stroke of the pen
c
: marked by an increase
an upward revision of the employment figures
2
: rising to a higher pitch
Her words had an upward inflection.
upwardly
adverb
upwardness
noun
Examples of upward in a Sentence
Adverb
The road gradually rose upward.
She directed my gaze upward.
They are moving upward socially and economically.
moving upward in the corporate world
Adjective
an upward revision of the vote tally
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
Drive your right knee upward to hip height, then switch legs quickly one after the other while keeping your core tight.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Dec. 2025
Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Jan. 2026
Loeffler said the upward trends are thanks to the tax cuts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upward
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show current usage.
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Adverb
Simply massage a generous layer into clean skin on your neck and chest using upward, sweeping motions.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2025
Drive your right knee upward to hip height, then switch legs quickly one after the other while keeping your core tight.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Prior to the pandemic, ticket sales were on an upward trajectory, routinely nearing or topping $11 million, but attendance has yet to return to the same levels even as the cost of going to the movies has increased.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Jan. 2026
Loeffler said the upward trends are thanks to the tax cuts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upward
Cite this Entry
“Upward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upward. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upward
2 of 2 adjective
: directed toward or located in a higher place or level : ascending
upwardly
adverb
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