upstream
adverb or adjective
up·stream
ˈəp-ˈstrēm 
1
: in the direction opposite to the flow of a stream
2
: in or to a position within the production stream closer to manufacturing processes
make most of its money upstream, selling cheap crude … to refineries—
John Quirt
John Quirt3
biochemistry
: toward the beginning of a series of cellular processes : preceding a linked molecular event occurring in a sequence
Many signaling pathways possess intrinsic negative feedback by which a downstream event in a pathway turns off an upstream event.—Harvey Lodish et al.
Harvey Lodish et al.Examples of upstream in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This last effort to mitigate flooding will affect dozens of communities both upstream and downstream in the Menomonee River watershed for the better, according to Schindler.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Klamath Chairman William Ray said his tribe had fished the last salmon out of the river in the early 20th century after the first of the dams, Copco I, stopped fish from coming upstream to spawn.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Upper Klamath Lake was known for unusually huge rainbow trout, some two feet long, that attracted anglers in droves, little thought was given to the Chinook salmon that had once thrived in the Klamath River but were no longer seen so far upstream.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
The slide created new rapids at the entry point, with sediment and mud continuing to shift, altering river conditions along a three-mile stretch upstream.
—Tom Howarth
follow, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstream 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Klamath Chairman William Ray said his tribe had fished the last salmon out of the river in the early 20th century after the first of the dams, Copco I, stopped fish from coming upstream to spawn.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Although Upper Klamath Lake was known for unusually huge rainbow trout, some two feet long, that attracted anglers in droves, little thought was given to the Chinook salmon that had once thrived in the Klamath River but were no longer seen so far upstream.
—Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
The slide created new rapids at the entry point, with sediment and mud continuing to shift, altering river conditions along a three-mile stretch upstream.
—Tom Howarth
follow, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upstream
Dictionary Entries Near upstream
Cite this Entry
“Upstream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upstream. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upstream
adverb or adjective
up·stream
ˈəp-ˈstrēm
: at or toward the beginning of a stream : against the current
salmon swimming upstream
Medical Definition
upstream
adverb or adjective
up·stream
ˈəp-ˈstrēm
1
: in a direction along a molecule of DNA or RNA opposite to that in which transcription and translation take place and toward the end having a phosphate group attached to the position labeled 5′ in the terminal nucleotide
… stretches of DNA upstream of genes—are known as promoters.—Matt Ridley, Time
compare downstream sense 1
Matt Ridley, Time2
: toward the beginning of series of cellular processes : preceding a linked molecular event occurring in a sequence
It's equally important to focus on additional mechanisms that are upstream of amyloid formation and mechanisms downstream that are involved in the actual degenerative processes within neurons.—Marc Tessier-Lavigne, quoted in Science
Marc Tessier-Lavigne, quoted in ScienceLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share