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
Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Unveiled at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 12, 1963, the six-cylinder upstart came to market a year later.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstart 
Noun
At a time when the conventional wisdom is increasingly that the generative AI boom is only further consolidating the power and market dominance of America’s largest technology companies, the go-it-alone effort by the Canadian upstart represents a stark counterpoint.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Unveiled at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 12, 1963, the six-cylinder upstart came to market a year later.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 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 4 May. 2024.
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