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upstreamtoward the source of a river or stream; against the current

Part of speech: ADVERB

Definition: toward the source of a river or stream; against the current

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈʌpstriːm/

Example Sentences

  • My boss asked me to go upstream and find out why our coffee supply chain is broken.
  • The kayakers paddled upstream for two hours before finding a good camping spot.
  • Like a stubborn fish swimming upstream, he refused to follow the crowd's opinion.

upstream

ADVERB

[/ˈʌpstriːm/]

toward the source of a river or stream; against the current

toward the source of a river or stream; against the current
💡 Concept

toward the source of a river or stream; against the current

Against the mainstream, upstream we go, while others drift downstream below!
🎵 Rhyme

Against the mainstream, upstream we go, while others drift downstream below!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈʌpstriːm/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈʌpstriːm/

🌳Etymology

Prefixup-
Rootstream

Origin

A compound word formed by combining 'up' (upward direction) and 'stream' (flowing water), literally meaning the course of a river in the direction opposite to water flow. First used in the 19th century to describe the upper reaches of a river, the term has since expanded metaphorically in business and supply chain contexts to denote the initial or earlier stages of a production process.

Breakdown

up- (upward direction) + stream (body of flowing water). The compound expresses movement or position against the natural flow of a water current.

🎵Rhyme

mainstreamdownstreambloodstream
mainstream
downstream
bloodstream

🔗Collocations

swim upstream
upstream activities
go upstream
upstream pollution
upstream market
upstream supplier

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My boss asked me to go upstream and find out why our coffee supply chain is broken.

The kayakers paddled upstream for two hours before finding a good camping spot.

😄 Fun example

Like a stubborn fish swimming upstream, he refused to follow the crowd's opinion.

The oil company invested heavily in upstream operations in the North Sea.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

upriveragainst the currenttoward the source

Antonyms

downstreamdownriver

Related

mainstreamcurrentflowsourcetributary

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