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Synonyms

move up

Idioms  

  1. Also, move up in the world. Advance, rise to a higher level, succeed, as in Gene hoped he would move up in the new division, or That new house and car show they are moving up in the world. Also see come up, def. 4.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Welshman was in stunning form throughout the evening, averaging 105.84 to beat Van Veen 6-2 in the final and move up to second in the table with his second nightly win of the campaign.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

As predators eat those infected animals, the parasites move up the food web.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s something that planners warn their clients to guard against as they move up the income ladder.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

They supply energy, minerals, and intermediate inputs, but struggle to move up the value chain.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

They raised us, built a life, and prospered—not extravagantly, but enough to definitively move up in class.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.