report upwards

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "report upwards" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to the act of communicating information or updates to higher levels of management or authority. For example, "I need to report upwards about the project's progress." Alternative expressions include "escalate" and "inform superiors."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

But even as they have branched out, the airlines have continued with a fairly traditional, hierarchical business model where all the business units report upwards to the chief executive.

The Economist

According to a joint Yale Law School and Association of State Correctional Administrators ASCAA) report, upwards of 100,000 U.S. prisoners are held in restrictive housing.

Huffington Post

But he had not really experienced it that way… Furthermore, there was a possibility to report upwards in the hierarchy: " I would not hesitate to…contact… [silence] a foreman, my bosses [if a patient was abused]." And there was a consensus on having an open climate at the clinic, and that it was important to be made aware when a patient was abused.

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The ministry of health reported upwards of 100 injuries.

The Guardian

"It generates an awful lot of paper, because it is a culture in which decision-making by subordinates is implicitly discouraged, so people are forever reporting upwards, trying to get others to take responsibility for decision making, and covering their ass … that produces paper".

The Guardian

Instead of a vertical dynamic of hierarchical bureaucracy with people reporting upwards to bosses, the firm was operating horizontally with a focus on the customer.

Forbes

"Being able to consolidate all these different bits of data onto a dashboard that we use for reporting upwards to our senior management team, you're able to really tell a story with it.

BBC

For this, AVSAG was co-ordinated through a tri-partite sub-group system (Volcanology, Volcano Monitoring, Social Consequences), which reported upwards to a smaller core VSAG that liaised directly with MCDEM and Auckland CDEM via on-site liaison officers in the Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) at each location (see reviews in: Smith 2009; Doyle & Johnston 2011).

Journal of Applied Volcanology

It's hard to gauge just how much money companies are saving in terms of time saved using the system, but VP Marketing Jeff Schultz says that companies are reporting upwards of 50% deductions in the amount of time taken to pay bills.

TechCrunch

Using the Twitter handle @RealNamePolice, the troll boasted of reporting "upwards of thousands of Facebook accounts".

Vice

Despite its relatively weak strength, the system produced nearly 12 inches of rain around Tampa, Florida, and the National Hurricane Center reported upwards of 20 inches nearby.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "report upwards", ensure the context clearly indicates a hierarchical structure where information flows from subordinates to superiors. Avoid using it in contexts where lateral communication is intended.

Common error

Avoid using "report upwards" when the communication is not directed to a higher level. For instance, do not say "report upwards to the team" when the team is a group of peers.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "report upwards" functions as a verb phrase indicating the action of conveying information to a higher authority. Ludwig confirms its usage in contexts involving hierarchical communication, as seen in the examples provided.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "report upwards" describes the act of communicating information to a higher level within a hierarchy. Ludwig AI shows the phrase is grammatically correct but rare. It's most commonly found in contexts related to news, science, and business and typically denotes a formal or professional register. When using the phrase, ensure clarity in a hierarchical context and avoid it for lateral communication. Alternative expressions include "escalate the issue" or "inform management", depending on the nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

escalate the issue

Focuses on raising the importance or urgency of a matter to a superior.

inform management

Directly indicates notifying those in managerial positions.

notify superiors

Highlights the act of informing individuals in positions of authority.

submit a report

Emphasizes the formal act of providing a written account.

keep leadership informed

Focuses on the ongoing nature of providing updates to leaders.

provide feedback to senior staff

Highlights the act of giving evaluative or corrective information.

advise upper management

Suggests providing counsel or recommendations to those in higher positions.

communicate to higher-ups

Uses a more informal term for those in superior positions.

pass along information to the next level

Emphasizes the transfer of data or details to the subsequent tier in a hierarchy.

keep the executive team abreast

Focuses on continuously updating the executive team with current information.

FAQs

How to use "report upwards" in a sentence?

Use "report upwards" when you need to convey information from a lower level to a higher level within an organization, for example, "All business units "report upwards" to the chief executive".

What does "report upwards" mean?

"Report upwards" means to communicate information or updates to someone in a higher position or level of authority within a hierarchy.

What can I say instead of "report upwards"?

You can use alternatives such as "escalate the issue", "inform management", or "submit a report" depending on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "report upwards"?

It's appropriate to use "report upwards" in situations where there's a need to formally communicate or escalate information to a superior within a structured organization or hierarchy.