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
Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
After its publication, one of Malcolm’s subjects—the loudmouth upstart scholar Jeffrey Masson—sued for defamation.
—The New Yorker, 26 June 2024
Its location count has dwindled by nearly half in recent years, customer traffic has slipped and competition from both fast food and new, fresher-looking upstarts are on the rise, according to R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research for Placer.ai.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 25 June 2024
People like you in The Lands Between were upstarts aiming for a chance of glory, and most people were just hopeful that someone, anyone, might restore order to the realm.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstart 
Noun
Nevertheless, the desire to conduct ground tests expected to take weeks has highlighted yet again how far Arlington, Va.-based Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, has fallen behind Elon Musk’s Hawthorne upstart SpaceX — at least in the program to service the space station.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
After its publication, one of Malcolm’s subjects—the loudmouth upstart scholar Jeffrey Masson—sued for defamation.
—The New Yorker, 26 June 2024
Its location count has dwindled by nearly half in recent years, customer traffic has slipped and competition from both fast food and new, fresher-looking upstarts are on the rise, according to R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research for Placer.ai.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 25 June 2024
People like you in The Lands Between were upstarts aiming for a chance of glory, and most people were just hopeful that someone, anyone, might restore order to the realm.
—Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstart
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upstart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstart. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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