upstream
adverbUK /ˌʌpˈstriːm/
US /ˌʌpˈstriːm/
Toward the place where a river starts.
The salmon swam upstream to lay their eggs.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Located or moving in the direction from which a stream flows.
They built a dam at the upstream end of the lake.
3. In the earlier stages of a process, especially in business or industry.
The company focused on upstream oil exploration.
4. Toward the source or origin of something.
We traced the problem upstream to its root cause.