upstream
Americanadverb
adjective
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directed upstream; situated upstream.
an upstream journey; an upstream hideout.
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Commerce. of or relating to the early stages in the operations of a business or industry, as exploration and production in the oil business (opposed to downstream).
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against or opposite to the direction of transcription, translation, or synthesis of a DNA, RNA, or protein molecule.
adverb
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in or towards the higher part of a stream; against the current
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(in the oil industry) of or for any of the stages prior to oil production, such as exploration or research Compare downstream
Etymology
Origin of upstream
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.
Upstream production meanwhile, has also stalled, largely as a result of the closure of the Strait, with production in the region down some 10 million barrels per day from prewar levels.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Upstream production is expected between 1.62 million to 1.82 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, from 1.84 million barrels of oil equivalent a day over the first quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Upstream production, or the process of getting oil out of the ground, is relatively straightforward; it’s easier to isolate the problem and restart the system quickly.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
Upstream from the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, is at 29% of capacity.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2025
Upstream a school of baby tarpon rolled, also with lunch on their minds.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
