social climber

noun

Synonyms of social climbernext
: one who attempts to gain a higher social position or acceptance in fashionable society
social climbing noun

Examples of social climber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
One is a free or low-cost learning series about the composer-librettist pair, whose witty, tuneful works lampooned social climbers, the legal profession, the military, the class system and more. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026 But what makes Lurker more than just the story of a dead-eyed social climber are the ways in which the movie suggests there’s something necessary and reciprocal about its dysfunctional central dynamic. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025 The stories focused on portraying her as a calculating social climber who only pursued the president’s oldest son to gain access to his wealth, power and celebrity, the Daily Mail also said. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 The House of the Dragon alum stars in The Girlfriend (under the direction of costar Robin Wright) as a scheming social climber who aims to seduce a naive trust fund heir, against his mother's wishes. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for social climber

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social climber was in 1894

Rhymes for social climber

See All Rhymes for social climber

Browse Nearby Words

social class
social climber
social compact
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Social climber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20climber. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

social climber

noun
: one who attempts to gain a higher social position or be accepted in fashionable society

More from Merriam-Webster on social climber

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for social climber

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