social climber

noun

Definition of social climbernext
as in elitist

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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 social climber Keith played conservative social climber Margo Leadbetter, who is baffled by her neighbor Tom's sustainability-centric lifestyle with wife Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal). — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 June 2026 The actress was best known for her role as snobby social climber Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances, the BBC comedy that ran for five seasons between 1990 and 1995. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025 Set in 1969 Palm Beach, the Apple TV series follows Kristen Wiig’s Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, a spry social climber eager to infiltrate high society. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 7 Jan. 2026 In classic Brooksian fashion, this simple succession plan becomes complicated by a potential scandal involving her social climber husband (Jack Lowden), the sudden return of her womanizing father (Woody Harrelson), and, well, Ella McCay’s own stubbornly idealistic personality. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for social climber
Recent Examples of Synonyms for social climber
elitist
Noun
  • It’s been argued that all publicity is good publicity, but the six-city tour is also testing those limits as Newsom seeks to shake off the image, fair or not, of a liberal elitist out of touch with Main Street.
    — MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Those unions’ rank and file, increasingly, see Democrats as cultural elitists who look down on them and want to replace their jobs.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of elitist

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social climber
social climbers
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Cite this Entry

“Social climber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/social%20climber. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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