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
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Recent Examples of upended
Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Alongside a carousel of photos showing the puppy’s compact frame and expressive face was a screengrab from an Embark DNA results page—evidence that upended expectations.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In a fanciful technicolor town full of dueling beauty shops, drag queens and midcentury flair, a young woman’s quest to defy her family is upended when her menstrual cramps manifest themselves as actual monsters.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Their eccentric existence is suddenly upended when Daniel (Gleeson), an awkward official, arrives with orders to relocate them.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed Tuesday, one day after powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and upended air travel in a cross-section of cities.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Brent soared as much as 29% to near $120 a barrel, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, with the US threatening to deepen a conflict that’s upended energy markets.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Life, and with it, the family’s cooking, upended.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 5 Mar. 2026
Aside from the human toll from the war, the fighting in the Middle East has rattled markets and upended supply chains, threatening to drive prices higher for American consumers on everything from home loans to groceries.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The criminal charges and investigations have upended the tiny municipality over the last few years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of delays and cancellations upended the airport in the two days following the collision, whose cause is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent has surged around 60% in March as the war between the US, Israel and Iran upended global markets and triggered concern about a simultaneous spike in inflation and slowdown in growth.
—The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended those longstanding traditions.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Apple's MacBook Neo has upended the affordable laptop market, but even this high-value buy can be improved with some simple modifications.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended the travel industry, too, with forecasters estimating airfares — which have jumped sixfold on some routes — will remain high for months.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Disagreements over the war have disrupted family dinners, upended friendships, and splintered congregations.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Alongside a carousel of photos showing the puppy’s compact frame and expressive face was a screengrab from an Embark DNA results page—evidence that upended expectations.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In a fanciful technicolor town full of dueling beauty shops, drag queens and midcentury flair, a young woman’s quest to defy her family is upended when her menstrual cramps manifest themselves as actual monsters.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Their eccentric existence is suddenly upended when Daniel (Gleeson), an awkward official, arrives with orders to relocate them.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed Tuesday, one day after powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and upended air travel in a cross-section of cities.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Brent soared as much as 29% to near $120 a barrel, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, with the US threatening to deepen a conflict that’s upended energy markets.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Life, and with it, the family’s cooking, upended.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 5 Mar. 2026
Aside from the human toll from the war, the fighting in the Middle East has rattled markets and upended supply chains, threatening to drive prices higher for American consumers on everything from home loans to groceries.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Middle Eastern conflict has upended the air cargo industry over the past year, leaving questions about the demand landscape if prices to fly goods continue to increase.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The criminal charges and investigations have upended the tiny municipality over the last few years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of delays and cancellations upended the airport in the two days following the collision, whose cause is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent has surged around 60% in March as the war between the US, Israel and Iran upended global markets and triggered concern about a simultaneous spike in inflation and slowdown in growth.
—The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended those longstanding traditions.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Apple's MacBook Neo has upended the affordable laptop market, but even this high-value buy can be improved with some simple modifications.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended the travel industry, too, with forecasters estimating airfares — which have jumped sixfold on some routes — will remain high for months.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
It was defeated on a straight party-line vote, and our highly ideological legislature kept the gap between Title IX and Colorado law unresolved.—
Lisa Frizell,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In the men’s final Monday, Connecticut and Michigan will play for the national championship after both roundly defeated their opponents in the semifinals.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This is not the very last stretch of border fencing to be erected.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, due to the drug’s $21,000 per year price, insurers erected coverage barriers.—
Michael Rose,
STAT,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Stephen Curry swished a 3-pointer on his second shot from deep and raised his arms in delight when the ball went through.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
My father had lived an extraordinary life as a young Black man born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, during the 1940s.—
Shayla Martin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Amanda Peet shows she's mastered her street style in New York City on March 31.—
Katie Hill,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The same can be said of Underwood, who has mastered the art of the pained expression like no one in the Big Ten since Bobby Knight.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bondi took her marching orders and launched investigations of those the president named.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Idaho State troopers, who handle law enforcement duties at the Capitol, took the nine protesters into custody.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nine months after Harold's death, Nicholson was monitoring a call where investigators were dispatched to a break-in at Marsha's.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Small groups of visitors will be dispatched with a Hogwarts professor to take part in a 12-minute experience throughout the Wizarding World with interactive moments involving the use of magic wands.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Japanese conquered the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
By the 1770s, Linnaeus had pretty much conquered Europe—all, that is, except for the King’s Garden in Paris, where Georges Buffon, the garden’s director, adamantly rejected his system as arbitrary and artificial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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