: the chiefly northerly sections of a state
also
: the chiefly rural part of a state when the major metropolitan area is in the south
Examples of upstate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After a financial setback, the couple decided to move upstate and begin again—right as the pandemic all but shut down the bridal industry.
—
Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
The 344 people people held on Rikers Island are awaiting transfer upstate to either begin their sentences or return to continue their sentences, correction officials said Tuesday in a Board of Correction hearing.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2025
Soaking showers were falling in New York City and parts of upstate Wednesday afternoon — even though the low pressure system causing all the trouble was still over Ohio, the weather service for that region said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Living Small: A couple left Brooklyn to downsize upstate.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstate
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Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
The 344 people people held on Rikers Island are awaiting transfer upstate to either begin their sentences or return to continue their sentences, correction officials said Tuesday in a Board of Correction hearing.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2025
Soaking showers were falling in New York City and parts of upstate Wednesday afternoon — even though the low pressure system causing all the trouble was still over Ohio, the weather service for that region said.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Living Small: A couple left Brooklyn to downsize upstate.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upstate
Cite this Entry
“Upstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upstate
adjective
up·state
ˈəp-ˌstāt 
: of, relating to, or typical of a part of a state away from a large city and especially to the north
upstate
noun or adverb
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