1
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erecting
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 upending
But Iran’s attacks on ships using the strait that are not its own have stopped that supply of oil, even fertilizer, upending those and other markets around the world.
—
Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
Those provisions would take effect immediately upon passage, potentially upending the 2026 midterm elections which will decide who controls the House and Senate.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Rising mineral exports curbs across Africa are upending key Chinese supply chains, and as a result sending global commodity prices soaring.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
But the Islamic Republic has rallied, upending the global energy market by halting oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and their drones wreaking havoc on the Gulf countries, sending tourists and investors fleeing.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2026
The last time Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed a film, Netflix, Amazon and Apple weren’t making movies, COVID hadn’t changed theatergoing habits and the existential threat of AI wasn’t upending the industry.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The war, which disrupted shipping via the world's most vital oil export route, has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel, pushing airline tickets on some routes sky-high, and sparking fears of a deep travel slump that could lead to widespread grounding of planes.
—Shivangi Lahiri, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The allegations have forced out longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor, upending the athletic department.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
Those provisions would take effect immediately upon passage, potentially upending the 2026 midterm elections which will decide who controls the House and Senate.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
Rising mineral exports curbs across Africa are upending key Chinese supply chains, and as a result sending global commodity prices soaring.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 16 Mar. 2026
But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
But the Islamic Republic has rallied, upending the global energy market by halting oil traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and their drones wreaking havoc on the Gulf countries, sending tourists and investors fleeing.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2026
The last time Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed a film, Netflix, Amazon and Apple weren’t making movies, COVID hadn’t changed theatergoing habits and the existential threat of AI wasn’t upending the industry.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The war, which disrupted shipping via the world's most vital oil export route, has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel, pushing airline tickets on some routes sky-high, and sparking fears of a deep travel slump that could lead to widespread grounding of planes.
—Shivangi Lahiri, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The allegations have forced out longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor, upending the athletic department.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
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His Jayhawks went 1-1 at the Big 12 tournament, defeating TCU 78-73 on Thursday before getting clobbered by Houston 69-47 in Friday’s semifinals.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
-
When Alejandro Bran struck a volley from 24 yards out last week at BMO Stadium, the Costa Rican delivered a lightning strike that LD Alajuelense needed in order to have a chance of defeating the Los Angeles Football Club.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The group is also said to be digging tunnels, building bunkers, and erecting barriers and other defensive structures in case of an attack by the United States and Israel.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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At the same time, Anthropic and Amodei may now have a bully pulpit to push their agenda for erecting sturdier guardrails around how AI operates.—
Michael Liedtke,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This prototype may offer a sustainable solution for long-term exploration on Earth and other planets by overcoming the need for batteries.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Founded by a young mother overcoming thyroid cancer, the brand was created to inspire hope, strength and faith during life’s hardest seasons.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Rochester Township Council held its regular meeting on Thursday evening, and it was packed with people who were raising concerns about chemical odors lingering in their neighborhood.—
Jessica Riley,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Federal officers have used administrative warrants to do so, raising concerns that constitutional protections are being skirted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Herson made multiple attempts on the route and, like most climbers, fell while mastering each challenging move.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
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Rei is a skilled visual artist, mastering new techniques often in a variety of traditional and digital mediums.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Charlotte won the third period 37-31 to remain ahead of Miami before taking full control of the contest in the fourth quarter.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
As the seconds ticked down, shaded his coverage to Mark’s left, taking away the drive.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Aggies received an automatic bid to the tournament after beating San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference tournament.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Sacramento improved to 4-9 in back-to-back situations 24 hours after beating the Los Angeles Clippers.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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France's government is bolstering the country's military presence in the Middle East, dispatching its aircraft carrier and other warships, while President Emmanuel Macron engages with key players in the conflict, including Iran, in a bid to position Paris for future diplomatic talks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
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Since then, the agency has increased training on STAR and focused internal quality assurance processes on the dispatching process.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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