upstream

[uhp-streem]

adverb

1. toward or in the higher part of a stream; against the current.

adjective

1. directed upstream; situated upstream.

   an upstream journey; an upstream hideout.

2. Commerce.,  of or relating to the early stages in the operations of a business or industry, as exploration and production in the oil business (downstream ).

3. against or opposite to the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.

upstream

/ ˈʌpˈstriːm /

adverb

1. in or towards the higher part of a stream; against the current

2. (in the oil industry) of or for any of the stages prior to oil production, such as exploration or research Compare downstream

Word History and Origins

Origin of upstream¹

First recorded in 1675–85; up- + stream

Example Sentences

“When the upstream business is really good, it’s a higher-returning asset than the best part of the chemical cycle.”

Read more on Wall Street Journal

State officials defend the Newsom administration’s efforts to help salmon populations recover, include restoring tidelands, removing barriers that block fish migration and reintroducing salmon in traditional spawning areas upstream from dams.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It comes after Pakistani officials said India had warned it would release water from major dams upstream, causing heavy flooding in parts of what is Pakistan's most populous province.

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The construction of the main part of Three Gorges Dam in 2006 didn't directly impact the finless porpoise, which don't have to go upstream to spawn, although it did affect the fish they eat.

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They could have been submerged in separate places upstream and taken by the current to the foot of the Choisy bridge.

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Related Words

• ambitious 
• arduous 
• burdensome 
• challenging 
• crucial 
• demanding 
• laborious 
• onerous 
• painful 
• problematic 
• severe 
• strenuous 
• tough 
• troublesome