start up

British  

verb

1. to come or cause to come into being for the first time; originate

2. (intr) to spring or jump suddenly from a position or place

3. to set in or go into motion, activity, etc

   he started up the engine

   the orchestra started up

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adjective

1. of or relating to input, usually financial, made to establish a new project or business

   a start-up mortgage

noun

1. a business enterprise that has been launched recently

start up Idioms  

1. Begin to operate, especially a machine or engine, as in Start up the motor so we can get going . [First half of 1900s]

2. Move suddenly or begin an activity, as in When the alarm rang I started up . [Early 1200s]

3. Organize a new enterprise, as in Starting up a business requires considerable capital . [Second half of 1900s]

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Explanation

A start-up is a brand new business. A typical start-up begins as a small team with a great idea working out of a home or coffee shop. A giant, well-funded company isn't a start-up — start-ups are entrepreneurial concepts with one or two founders that typically run on a small, shoestring budget. Starting a start-up, however, means you intend to grow it and make money. Shopify, Zappos, and AirBnB all began as start-ups. Many start-ups fail, and start-ups that end up valued at a billion dollars or more are so rare that they're known as unicorns.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

start up

Olsi reckoned it would probably start up again in the autumn, though, regardless of those survey results.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

“Very false, ya’ll…You can start up with as little as $25 or $50.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Then there’s the fact that with earnings season mostly wrapped up, there’s nothing likely to move earnings estimates over the next month or so–geopolitics aside–until conferences start up and executives’ windows for commentary open again.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

At trial, Musk told jurors that his AI start up xAI was small relative to OpenAI which is also expected to sell shares to the public imminently.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

It was almost dusk, that magical time of evening just before the fireflies come out, just as the crickets start up their all-night racket.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles