upwards of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "upwards of" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate a quantity that is greater than a specified amount, often in a numerical context. Example: "The project is expected to cost upwards of $50,000."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

They cost upwards of £1m.

Independent

Upwards of 10,000 arrived on Saturday.

Independent

Permit fees ran upwards of $1,400.

The New York Times

Die life is upwards of 200,000 coins.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Germany has upwards of 130 symphony orchestras.

The Guardian - Music

"I had upwards of 100 different containers".

The New York Times - Travel

Authentic uniform shirts upwards of $180.

The New York Times

That could easily cost upwards of £500m.

The Guardian

Upwards of 10,000 were left homeless.

The Guardian

They'd win upwards of a hundred seats!

The New Yorker

Reports gave upwards of 50,000 in Central America.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Place the phrase directly before the numerical value it modifies to ensure clear quantification.

Common error

Avoid using "upwards of" when describing a decreasing trend or a small amount. Because the word 'upwards' implies growth or a high threshold, it sounds contradictory to use it for figures that the reader would perceive as low or insignificant.

Linguistic Context

In the English language, "upwards of" functions as a complex quantifier or a prepositional phrase that modifies a noun phrase. As noted in the Ludwig AI analysis, it serves to indicate a lower bound, suggesting that the actual number is higher than the one cited. It is almost always followed by a cardinal number or a measurement.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Wiki

15%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Social Media

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "upwards of" is a highly effective and grammatically correct way to convey that a quantity exceeds a specific number. Ludwig examples demonstrate its broad utility across diverse fields, from reporting on refugee crises in The Independent to describing biological half-lives in Science journals. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is perfectly usable in written English and often carries a more emphatic tone than the simple word "over". Whether you are discussing costs, populations or timeframes, using "upwards of" allows you to highlight the significance of the figures you are presenting while maintaining a polished and professional style. It is a staple of high-quality journalism and academic writing alike, proving its reliability as a quantifier in both British and American English.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

more than

The most neutral and common alternative for general use.

over

A shorter, more direct preposition often used in journalistic writing.

in excess of

Adds a more formal or technical tone, frequently seen in financial or legal reports.

beyond

Suggests exceeding a limit or a boundary rather than just a numerical count.

exceeding

A participle form that emphasizes the act of going past a certain number.

greater than

More mathematical in tone, focusing on the comparison of values.

at least

Indicates a minimum threshold but does not necessarily imply the number is surprisingly high.

north of

A more colloquial or business-oriented idiom used mostly in American English.

above

Focuses on the position of a value on a scale relative to another.

no fewer than

Used specifically for countable nouns to emphasize a large number.

FAQs

What does "upwards of" mean in a sentence?

The phrase "upwards of" means "more than" or "in excess of" a specified amount. For example, if a project costs upwards of $10,000, it means the final price is greater than that figure.

Is it "upward of" or "upwards of"?

Both forms are correct. "upwards of" is the preferred version in British English and is widely used internationally, while "upward of" is frequently found in American English.

What is a more formal way to say "upwards of"?

In very formal, legal, or financial contexts, you might prefer to use "in excess of" or "exceeding" to maintain a professional tone.

Can I use "upwards of" for time?

Yes, it is common to use it for duration. For instance, you could say a process takes "over" an hour or "upwards of" sixty minutes to emphasize that it is a long time.