UPPER CRUST Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

upper-crust 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of upper-crust

as in aristocratic

of high birth, rank, or station an interior designer who has intimate knowledge of the tastes of her upper-crust clientele

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upper crust

2 of 2

noun

as in aristocracy

individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class the conference was a gathering of the upper crust of the computer programming industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nobility

the highest class in a society a specialty clothing store for the upper crust

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 upper-crust

Adjective

Emulation of upper-crust speech norms became popular among the nouveau riche. — Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026 The show follows two upper-crust friends, Julia (O’Hara) and Jane (Byrne), who discover their former lover Maurice (Mark Consuelos) has touched down in London while their husbands are on a golf trip. — Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026

Noun

Link, whose real name is Dylan, helped to create Alex prior to the mass extinction event that sent the world's upper crust into Paradise. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Mar. 2026 One measurement among many that marks the Broncos’ ascent back to the NFL’s upper crust in recent years is the seemingly annual attempts to pillage Sean Payton’s coaching staff. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upper-crust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper-crust

Adjective

Taylor, who reportedly bought his aristocratic title on the internet, was jailed for three years for selling a fake painting by the British artist Lowry through auction house Bonhams.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026
Similarly, after the traumas of the Civil War and Reconstruction, some Southern writers emphasized aberrant behavior to undercut the aristocratic whitewash of gentility and custom.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of aristocratic

Noun

Advertisement The revolution still to come At the heart of the French Revolution of 1789 was the abolition of the privileges of the aristocracy and clergy.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Of course, one entertainer who isn’t in that category would seem to be a natural fit for Arrowhead — the one who has married into Kansas City’s aristocracy.

— Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of aristocracy

Noun

Legal recognition of the country’s nobility stopped in 1946 and for aristocrats such as Princess Giacinta Ruspoli, upkeep of the family’s ancestral homes doesn’t come cheap.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Thomas Jefferson is believed to have loved these wines and today they are enjoyed by Italian nobility and discerning wine lovers the world over.

— Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of nobility

Noun

Millions rose out of poverty, while more lower-income and Black Brazilians entered universities and spaces long dominated by the middle and upper classes.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
As the merchant and middle classes expanded during the 18th century, mourning fashions once reserved for the upper classes became increasingly widespread.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of upper class

Noun

This tiny elite owns 15% of all wealth – almost half of all the wealth of the top 1%.

— Markus Schneider, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
The result is a deep economic divide between Paris and the rest of the country and an elite that lives largely among its own, surrounded by people with similar educations, careers, and assumptions, and cut off from much of the country.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of elite

Noun

When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

Definition of gentry

Noun

The first meeting was in November of last year at the White House, when Mamdani was mayor elect, and the second was in February, also at the White House.

— Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
The governor-elect faced a fight over removing Nick Balletto, who had initially been dismissive of Lamont as a candidate, as the Democratic state chair.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of elect

Browse Nearby Words

upperclassmen

upper-crust

upper crust

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Upper-crust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-crust. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of upper-crust

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes