upcycle

American  

[uhp-sahy-kuhl] / ˈʌpˌsaɪ kəl /

verb (used with object)

upcycled, upcycling

1. to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original.

   I upcycled a stained tablecloth into curtains.

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verb (used without object)

upcycled, upcycling

1. to process goods or material so as to produce something that is often better than the original.

   Several new companies whose purpose is to upcycle have sprung up recently.

noun

1. Economics. a period or cycle during which business activity or profitability is at a high point.

   The whole industry has entered an upcycle.

Other Word Forms

• upcycler noun

Etymology

Origin of upcycle

First recorded in 1990–95; up + (re)cycle

Example Sentences

The county is firmly in a reflation phase with growth, wages and prices all in an upcycle.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investors who want to add more exposure likely missed out on the best months of Sandisk’s upcycle.

From Barron's

Investors who want to add more exposure likely missed out on the best months of Sandisk’s upcycle.

From Barron's

India’s structural power upcycle creates a strong tailwind for coal power for the thermal power producer, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal

She says investor interest in the broader automation industry is growing amid expectations of a potential upcycle in the U.S. automation market and improving semiconductor capital expenditure in 2026, as well as demand for non-Chinese suppliers in the humanoid robotics space.

From The Wall Street Journal