1
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to erect
to fix in an upright position
we had to upend the sofa in order to fit it into the elevator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upend
Cybersecurity stocks have plummeted over the last few months as the software sector falls prey to the narrative that new AI tools will upend their longstanding business models and automate tasks.
—
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The defense secretary is upending decades-old norms, current and former leaders say, with some cautioning that his proselytizing violates the Constitution and undermines troop cohesion.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Players Era launched in 2024 with the promise of $1 million in NIL payments to each participating team, a model that upended the traditional economics for neutral-site games on its head.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The war has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upend
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The defense secretary is upending decades-old norms, current and former leaders say, with some cautioning that his proselytizing violates the Constitution and undermines troop cohesion.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Players Era launched in 2024 with the promise of $1 million in NIL payments to each participating team, a model that upended the traditional economics for neutral-site games on its head.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The war has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar.
—Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upend
Verb
-
In his March Madness brackets, Obama has the Arizona Wildcats men defeating the Duke Blue Devils (who have already been upset) and UConn's women's team winning it all.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Wolverines defeated the Mustangs in state semis last year and in 2021 and 2025 and won state title games against Grapevine in 2018 and 2022.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the lavish memorial erected by his grieving widow, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert is golden, but few world leaders are permanently gilded, and certainly not before their deaths.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
More than three years after the evictions, satellite images show, their village has been flattened and, in its place, new buildings erected to support some of China’s most important nuclear weapons production facilities.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bane overcame a slow start by making six of his first seven attempts at the free-throw line to reach 10 points after two quarters.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly's snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The school also received a Rotary Club grant, and its PTA also raised a significant amount of money.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The young girl is reading at a 12th-grade level and mastering math concepts such as fractions, decimals and even exponents.—
Jasmine Viel,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The duality applies to the whole team, which has seemingly mastered compartmentalizing its fun side and its serious side, tapping into one personality or the other on command.—
Haley Sawyer,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He was never accused of any wrongdoing, and a House Ethics Committee investigation opened in 2021 was closed two years later without any action taken.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi Even if not a huge art buff, take the five minutes to wander to the Contarelli chapel inside this small catholic church which is just a short stroll from the Pantheon.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Suns then tied the game at 94-94 after Jordan Goodwin beat the buzzer with a corner triple to end the period.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keller stymies defending champ Coppell Claire Garritson scored the game-winning goal in the second half and Keller hung on to beat defending state champion Coppell 2-1 in the Class 6A Division 1 Region 1 Final on Tuesday night at Keller High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Japanese conquered the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Alienation doesn’t only spur people to conquer the system that alienated them.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upend. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
