start-up

noun

ˈstärt-ˌəp How to pronounce start-up (audio)
variants or startup
often attributive
1
: the act or an instance of setting in operation or motion
2
: a fledgling business enterprise

Examples of start-up 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 company that claims to be developing a true flying car is California start-up Alef. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 In 2025 mCDR start-up Gigablue sold 200,000 future credits for a method intended to stimulate phytoplankton on mineral particles that later sink. — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Founded in September 2025, Cloak is backed by the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz’s start-up accelerator program Speedrun and the University of Pennsylvania, per the company’s LinkedIn page. — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 Our current commission removed the UCF Business Incubator funding and services that support small start-up businesses. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for start-up

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of start-up was in 1845

Rhymes for start-up

See All Rhymes for start-up

Browse Nearby Words

star tulip
start-up
star turn
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Cite this Entry

“Start-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/start-up. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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