social climbing

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.

Showing an early aptitude for social climbing, Clarence Lapowski changed his name to Dillon days before entering college.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Lindsay Lohan’s well-loved early comedies involve her playing characters pretending to be someone else: think of the chaotic swaps of “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday,” or the social climbing of “Mean Girls.”

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2024

In fashion, a preppy look conjures up feelings of stuffiness and sartorial rigidity — think Matt Damon social climbing in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” — but there’s also some flexibility baked into its DNA.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 9, 2022

He would just as fervently applaud a character like David Copperfield for making his way up in the world as condemn Uriah Heep for social climbing.

From The Guardian • Jun. 23, 2020

The rest were there to participate in the great melodrama of social climbing and career advancement.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman