Meaning & use
up and onward
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
used to say that you are moving forward, making progress, or leaving a situation behind and continuing.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase, often at the end of a sentence or as a standalone phrase.
Patterns
- move up and onward
- go up and onward
- up and onward to something
After graduation, it's up and onward to the next challenge.
The team lost the game but it's up and onward to the next match.
She packed her bags and moved up and onward to a new city.
phrasefixed phrase
used as a cheerful or motivational way to say 'keep going' or 'look to the future'.
Grammar: Often said as a short phrase on its own, like a motto.
Patterns
- up and onward!
- onward and upward
Up and onward! We have a lot to do today.
The slogan for the new year was 'Up and onward'.
Common combinations
- move up and onward
- It's time to move up and onward.
- go up and onward
- After the setback, they went up and onward.
- up and onward to
- Up and onward to the next project.
Synonyms and how they differ
- onward and upward
- This is the more common, fixed order of the phrase and often means 'becoming more successful'.
- forward
- A simple adverb meaning in the direction ahead; it doesn't carry the motivational tone.
Opposites
Commonly confused: up and onward or onward and upward?
up and onward vs onward and upward
This is the usual idiom meaning 'improving or progressing'; 'up and onward' is a less standard variant that focuses on moving forward.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'up and onward' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Up and onward' means moving forward to the next thing, so option B fits. Option An is wrong because 'up and onward' doesn't mean 'to the mechanic'. Option C is wrong because it's not an emotion. Option D is wrong because it's not a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “up and onward”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.