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
Relevance
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
There are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of wine glass manufacturers, large and small, heritage and upstart, producing glassware in nearly every corner of the world.
—
Jordan Michelman, Wired News, 25 Apr. 2025
That creates a huge barrier to entry for upstarts in the space.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
There is the Triple Threat match for the NXT Title featuring the champion Oba Femi, former champion Trick Williams, and young upstart Je’Von Evans.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s also a possibility that Orton could face an upstart from NXT.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstart
Jordan Michelman, Wired News, 25 Apr. 2025
That creates a huge barrier to entry for upstarts in the space.
—Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
There is the Triple Threat match for the NXT Title featuring the champion Oba Femi, former champion Trick Williams, and young upstart Je’Von Evans.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s also a possibility that Orton could face an upstart from NXT.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 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
-
The series invites young adventurers to explore the joys and challenges of moving to new places, meeting new people, discovering different cultures and building lasting friendships.—
Deb Harvell,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 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,
21 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Upstart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upstart. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share