applecart
noun
ap·ple·cart
ˈa-pəl-ˌkärt 
: a plan, system, situation, or undertaking that may be disrupted or terminated
upset the applecart
Examples of applecart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Porsche did not want to upset the applecart with the new powertrain.
—
Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Zayn drew ubiquitous comparisons to Daniel Bryan and the Yes Movement, which saw a grassroots movement upset the applecart of WrestleMania 30.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
And this ‘goldilocks’ scenario is something Wall Street seems to like: the possibility of more economic support for a struggling economy without the possibility of legislation that will completely upset the applecart.
—Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2021
Assume another Republican seat is added, though if the commission upsets the proverbial applecart in the state, that number could grow.
—Sean Trende, National Review, 13 Nov. 2020
But for morphogenes evolution has to use the tools and tricks of photoshopping, making recourse to extant elements and rearranging or tweaking things here and there so as not to upset the complex applecart while modulating on the margins.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2010
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Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
Zayn drew ubiquitous comparisons to Daniel Bryan and the Yes Movement, which saw a grassroots movement upset the applecart of WrestleMania 30.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
And this ‘goldilocks’ scenario is something Wall Street seems to like: the possibility of more economic support for a struggling economy without the possibility of legislation that will completely upset the applecart.
—Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2021
Assume another Republican seat is added, though if the commission upsets the proverbial applecart in the state, that number could grow.
—Sean Trende, National Review, 13 Nov. 2020
But for morphogenes evolution has to use the tools and tricks of photoshopping, making recourse to extant elements and rearranging or tweaking things here and there so as not to upset the complex applecart while modulating on the margins.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Applecart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applecart. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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