social climber

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.

Mr. Restall’s Columbus was a man on the make, a social climber who used his marriage in 1479 to Felipa Moniz, the daughter of a minor aristocrat, to further his standing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

He is a vain social climber, easily fooled by his clever, beautiful young wife.

From Slate • May 4, 2023

The season three episode “Chiantishire,” which takes place at Caroline’s wedding to an unabashed social climber, offers some insight into Shiv’s relationship with her mom.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2023

To Gloria, Andy did not seem at all like a stereotypical Hill workaholic social climber.

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2021

Or was she an overly forward social climber?

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock