1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erected
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 upended
Lorne Cook,
Fortune,
5 July 2026
Trump's push to make that change upended how the constitutional guarantee – long considered a bedrock American principle – had historically been understood.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
Merchandise was displayed in or atop packing crates and upended barrels.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
Stay Close, another popular Coben adaptation, starred an ensemble cast of Armitage, James Nesbitt, Cush Jumbo and others as strangers whose lives are upended following a strange disappearance that threats to resurface their dark pasts, per Variety.
—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
The June 2 primary for California governor shattered spending records and upended precedent.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2026
In the years following 2020, cities nationwide experienced alarming increases in homicides, shootings and other crime as the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, destabilized local economies and deepened distrust in public institutions.
—
Diane Goldstein,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Old assumptions about authority, trust and social status were shaken if not upended.
—
Donie O'Sullivan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
The group is suddenly upended when one couple -- Anne and Nick (Kenney-Silver and Steve Carrell, respectively) -- abruptly divorces and Nick introduces the group to a younger girlfriend, Ginny (Henningsen).
—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
The injury, a torn anterior cruciate ligament, not only derailed a possible title run that season, but also upended the Trojans’ trajectory for the next one.
—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The takeaway for boards and CISOs isn’t that one Chinese release upended the field overnight.
—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Owners, particularly those in older buildings, are facing rising association fees, insurance hikes and special assessments that have upended the math of condo ownership.
—
Jessica Lipscomb,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
That campaign has upended daily life for people on the peninsula, resulting in frequent drone strikes, a ban on gas sales to ordinary residents, and the suspension of summer camps for children.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
This arrangement worked well until the vine-killing louse made its way from Bordeaux to Rioja and destroyed the vineyards there, which upended the region’s industry for decades.
—
Mike Desimone,
Robb Report,
26 June 2026
In Paris, the heat upended peak tourist season, forcing the Louvre to close two hours early, the Eiffel Tower to shut ahead of schedule, and other major attractions to shorten hours or close sections, Euronews reported.
—
Kelly McGreal , Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
The opening matches have already upended expectations.
—
Jeremy Ebobisse,
Time,
26 June 2026
Adjective
Rutte’s predecessor, Stoltenberg, has written in his memoir about chairing a 2018 summit that Trump nearly upended.
—
Lorne Cook,
Fortune,
5 July 2026
Trump's push to make that change upended how the constitutional guarantee – long considered a bedrock American principle – had historically been understood.
—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
30 June 2026
Merchandise was displayed in or atop packing crates and upended barrels.
—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2026
Stay Close, another popular Coben adaptation, starred an ensemble cast of Armitage, James Nesbitt, Cush Jumbo and others as strangers whose lives are upended following a strange disappearance that threats to resurface their dark pasts, per Variety.
—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
The June 2 primary for California governor shattered spending records and upended precedent.
—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2026
In the years following 2020, cities nationwide experienced alarming increases in homicides, shootings and other crime as the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, destabilized local economies and deepened distrust in public institutions.
—
Diane Goldstein,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Old assumptions about authority, trust and social status were shaken if not upended.
—
Donie O'Sullivan,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
The group is suddenly upended when one couple -- Anne and Nick (Kenney-Silver and Steve Carrell, respectively) -- abruptly divorces and Nick introduces the group to a younger girlfriend, Ginny (Henningsen).
—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
But the more scientists have looked across the animal kingdom, the more the biological realities of other animals have upended this narrative.
—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
29 June 2026
The injury, a torn anterior cruciate ligament, not only derailed a possible title run that season, but also upended the Trojans’ trajectory for the next one.
—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2026
The takeaway for boards and CISOs isn’t that one Chinese release upended the field overnight.
—
Craig S. Smith,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Owners, particularly those in older buildings, are facing rising association fees, insurance hikes and special assessments that have upended the math of condo ownership.
—
Jessica Lipscomb,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2026
That campaign has upended daily life for people on the peninsula, resulting in frequent drone strikes, a ban on gas sales to ordinary residents, and the suspension of summer camps for children.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
This arrangement worked well until the vine-killing louse made its way from Bordeaux to Rioja and destroyed the vineyards there, which upended the region’s industry for decades.
—
Mike Desimone,
Robb Report,
26 June 2026
In Paris, the heat upended peak tourist season, forcing the Louvre to close two hours early, the Eiffel Tower to shut ahead of schedule, and other major attractions to shorten hours or close sections, Euronews reported.
—
Kelly McGreal , Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
The opening matches have already upended expectations.
—
Jeremy Ebobisse,
Time,
26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
Norway defeated Brazil, while England emerged victorious against Mexico, taking them both through to the quarter-finals.
-
Without a pole, hook, or tree to climb, squirrels are left defeated and bereft.
Verb
-
Earlier this year, the phone erected for Ruby and Hart Campbell was moved to a more public location.
-
During this visit to shore, his 12th, his crimes have included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads.
Verb
-
The Knicks overcame several double-digit point deficits to win the 2026 NBA championship, their first in 53 years.
-
Heide Hafner, Miss Subways 1976, overcame obstacles like sexism to earn her pilot's license.
Verb
-
The bike lane is raised a little from the street, and then the sidewalk is raised a little from the bike lane.
-
But last year, Australia’s National Rodeo Association raised the age limit to 18, boosting Bella’s ambition to one day ride in adult comps.
Verb
-
Faculty across the country increasingly report spending more time teaching skills that many students once mastered before arriving on campus.
-
Emma Chamberlain has mastered the art of the messy textured pixie.
Verb
-
Miami Fire Rescue paramedics took the man, thought to be in his early 30s, to Jackson Memorial Hospital, Fallat said.
-
In early June, Johnson met with workers who support the ILA and took a photo with them.
Verb
-
Fast forward to 1953 and the Delage was apparently involved in a fender-bender and dispatched to famed coachbuilder Saoutchik for repairs.
-
Roughly 20 nations have dispatched their premier tall ships to participate in the celebration, with vessels arriving from as far away as Italy, India, Peru, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
Verb
-
The story here is how the Minions conquered Hollywood and became movie stars, which has charmed critics especially, with so many homages to classic Hollywood film.
-
But Alexca, a bubbly toddler who giggles and runs about, has conquered her grandmother’s heart.
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
