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
1
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
2
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
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The two-story house became the tiny town’s version of a ski resort, sans the steep prices and upper-crust snobbery.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Of course, there’s more to a visit here with The Vault than simple upper crust cosplay.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-crust
Adjective
Quentin Tarantino's ultraviolent World War II fantasy gave the Austrian-German actor his villainous breakout role as Hans Landa, a Nazi baddie with an upper-crust cultural side.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
The two-story house became the tiny town’s version of a ski resort, sans the steep prices and upper-crust snobbery.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Noun
But Denver was not returning to the NFL’s upper crust as a family business.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
Of course, there’s more to a visit here with The Vault than simple upper crust cosplay.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-crust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper-crust
Adjective
-
News articles and photos of the casual picnic enamored Americans, transforming their view of the royals as rigid and aristocratic to more down-to-earth.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Set the scene The streets of Forte—as insiders call it—are a maze of tall box hedges and gates that shelter private villas built for wealthy and aristocratic Italian families.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Breyer is married to Joanna Freda Hare, a psychologist and member of the British aristocracy.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The lower classes and the clergy had always hated the Castilians, and the Portuguese aristocracy and the commercial classes—previously content with the patronage and the economic opportunities that the union with Spain had provided—had become dissatisfied during the preceding 20 years.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In particular, popes wanted to select the church’s bishops rather than allowing nobility or a king to do so.—
Joëlle Rollo-Koster,
Fortune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Lagerbielke — or more accurately, the 11th Baron Lagerbielke — is a member of the Swedish nobility and lies 254th in line to the country’s throne.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cuevas produced solid numbers last season with the Tide — 37 receptions, 411 yards, four TDs — and had career bests in 2022 at Cal Poly (58 catches, 678 yards, six TDs).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
In 1971, the Osmonds tallied nine gold records, surpassing single-year bests by Elvis and the Beatles.—
Maria Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Achane is in the upper class of running backs.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But, by the beginning of the Gilded Age in America in the 1870s, the sartorial code became the upper class’s go-to for the opera, debutante balls, and any of the fancy-dress parties thrown by socialites of the day.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His elite pass protection and calm feet mean he can be trusted immediately to keep the quarterback clean on passing downs, while also providing a high-effort presence on special teams.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
India bristles as Pakistan has its diplomatic moment Indian political elites are discomforted by regional rival Pakistan’s outsized role in US-Iran peace talks, but there are some bright spots for New Delhi, analysts argued.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The nobles and gentry—the billionaires of Tudor England—made fortunes from the reclaimed monastery lands and created a myth of Henry’s military strength and English pride.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Obama’s staff would look less amused a few weeks later, as their boss hosted President-elect Trump at the White House.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Hungarian premier-elect Peter Magyar’s incoming cabinet plans to cut taxes for low earners and held talks to repair ties with banks that frayed under Viktor Orban’s tumultuous 16 years in power.—
Andras Gergely,
Bloomberg,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upper-crust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-crust. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
