How to Use upward mobility in a Sentence

upward mobility

noun
  • This can give you some insight into whether your role has room for upward mobility.
    — Emilia Benton, SELF, 8 Nov. 2021
  • Almost all of those jobs are gone now, along with the ladders of upward mobility.
    — Steve Lopez Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2021
  • Over the last few years, more novels are smashing the myth of upward mobility.
    — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
  • Alex gives in and accepts the gift, and with it, her own inevitable upward mobility.
    — New York Times, 10 Nov. 2021
  • Who among us can resist the upward mobility of a summer mood?
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 June 2021
  • Those children crowd out their peers, and the path to upward mobility narrows.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • But often these young adults are going into jobs with low wages and slim chances of upward mobility.
    — Dallas News, 17 Feb. 2022
  • Americans just want good jobs and the prospect of upward mobility.
    — John Sides, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2017
  • And her story sounds, in some respects, like a classic tale of upward mobility.
    — David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2019
  • For decades, a diploma was the ticket to upward mobility.
    — Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • But her frank disavowal of upward mobility is one of the most profound aspects of the book.
    — Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 May 2022
  • Race has come to play a smaller role in upward mobility, while economic class plays a larger role.
    — German Lopez, New York Times, 25 July 2024
  • The state is one of the worst parts of the country for upward mobility of homeownership.
    — Jake Angelo, Fortune, 27 May 2026
  • There’s just not a lot of upward mobility for the next generation, so people like me leave.
    — Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2022
  • Younger people want reforms, a change of the guard, upward mobility for themselves.
    — Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Mar. 2018
  • Yet his natty dress, uplifting talk of progress and cutting wit speak of upward mobility.
    — The Economist, 24 Oct. 2019
  • An Indian film about a man who lies to gain upward mobility, which could be dangerous for his son.
    — Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2020
  • The hope is that this initiative paves the way for long-term stability and upward mobility.
    — Dallas News, 27 Dec. 2022
  • Or the need to flee a country for better, sustainable upward mobility.
    — Rita Omokha, ELLE, 14 Apr. 2022
  • Martin has an upward mobility clause in his minor-league deal, meaning another team could choose to put him on their big-league team.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Or seek out a new employer that has your career and upward mobility as top of mind, for your own success and that of the company.
    — Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2022
  • Research tells us that lead in soil and old paint hurts kids’ chances for upward mobility in life, and so the solution is to invest in lead abatement.
    — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 5 Oct. 2018
  • As for what accounts for the disparities in upward mobility, the researchers do not have a clear answer.
    — The Washington Post, AL.com, 19 Mar. 2018
  • Much of the upward mobility in college football is provided by the schedule.
    — Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2019
  • The survey also revealed how women have faring in terms of upward mobility in the workplace.
    — Jasmine Browley, Essence, 7 Mar. 2022
  • Americans retain their faith in the American dream even as our prospects of upward mobility dim.
    — New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022
  • There wasn’t much room for upward mobility, as Tennessee’s four-position gain is the biggest of the week.
    — Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, 28 Dec. 2021
  • The American dream of upward mobility seems out of reach for some who feel left behind in a changing economy.
    — Alana Abramson, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2017
  • These can’t both be true—if the United States were a classless society, there would be no need for upward mobility.
    — John Patrick Leary, The New Republic, 22 Nov. 2019
  • English was the pathway to success – the currency that could unlock better jobs and lead to upward mobility.
    — Kalpana Jain, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upward mobility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: