as in arriviste
one who has recently acquired wealth and social position having made their money in oil decades ago, they consider these billionaire dot-commers mere upstarts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of upstart These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux. Jessica Dupuy, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025 Now, its filled with upstart competitors touting benefits aimed at the less athletically inclined. Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025 Over the course of the job the pair became BFFs, proving a viral sensation on the first season’s press tour—a kind of two-person Generation Game, with Pascal crowned the internet’s daddy and Ramsey a younger, cheekier upstart. Zing Tsjeng, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025 The upstart founded by Stewart and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier (also a mother) is known not only for its competitive wages, with average salaries rivaling max deals in the WNBA, but also its family-friendly services. Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for upstart
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upstart
Noun
  • Where’s our charming arriviste?
    Jason Gay, WSJ, 21 Dec. 2020
  • Compared with some of her peers, she was initially seen as an arriviste.
    Caitlin Moscatello, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
Noun
  • In 1952, backed by little more than his reputation as a war hero and a fortune staked by his parvenu father, 35-year-old John F. Kennedy swiped a Senate seat from Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, himself a wealthy combat veteran.
    Kevin Mahnken, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2020
  • Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.
    Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019
Noun
  • Jeep Large Trunk Expandable Spinner, $349.99 For the adventurer Designed to mirror the adventurous spirit of the Jeep brand, this large trunk boasts an ultra-tough exterior, a spacious interior for overpackers and 360-degree wheels that make maneuvering through airports and campgrounds a breeze.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
  • Along for the ride will be fellow adventurers Eric Philips of Australia, Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway and Rabea Rogge of Germany.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • The prince’s daughter Concetta is initially enamored of Tancredi, but his eye is caught by the beautiful Angelica, daughter of vulgar nouveau riche neighbor Don Calogero.
    Anthony Paletta, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • In Rivals, Dyer plays a complex, nouveau riche tech entrepreneur who strikes up an unlikely romance with local author Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson).
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstart. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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