adj

upstream

uhp-STREEM

adj

Positioned or moving against the direction a river or current flows.

"Salmon swim upstream to reach their spawning grounds."

"The boat struggled to make progress upstream."

Happening earlier in a process, or influencing what comes later.

"The delay was caused by an upstream supplier missing a deadline."

How to Use Upstream

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAgainst the current of a river, or — figuratively — earlier in a chain of events that affects everything after it.

Easily confused with

downstream →

Common pairings

swim upstream upstream suppliers an upstream cause

Word Forms

further upstream comparative, farther upstream comparative, further upstream comparative, farther upstream comparative, upstreamed past tense, upstreams plural, upstreams singular, furthest upstream superlative, farthest upstream superlative, furthest upstream superlative, farthest upstream superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “upstream” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Salmon swim _____ to reach their spawning grounds.

Etymology

From up- + stream.

Antonyms

downstream

Related Words

upriver downstream

Rhymes for upstream

seam team ream beam cream dream steam bream gleam stream scream sunbeam

See all rhymes for upstream →

People Also Searched

downstream upriver