uproot

verb

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

transitive verb

1
: to remove as if by pulling up
2
: to pull up by the roots
3
: to displace from a country or traditional habitat
uprootedness noun
uprooter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for uproot

exterminate, extirpate, eradicate, uproot mean to effect the destruction or abolition of something.

exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Examples of uproot in a Sentence

Many trees were uprooted by the storm. Will we ever be able to uproot racial prejudice? Taking the job would mean uprooting my family.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Last December, Deadline reported that Dutton Ranch will likely welcome some familiar faces from the Yellowstone universe, which makes sense since the show isn't uprooting its characters and will directly follow the events of its predecessor. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025 Exhausted and despairing, many Palestinians had their own reasons for refusing to pack up and uproot themselves again. Wafaa Shurafa, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025 Marron said the Silverado smashed through the steel fence surrounding the house and uprooted a 30-year-old peach tree in the front yard before breaking through the wall. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2025 The damaging winds uprooted trees and tore roof shingles in neighborhoods around Carmichael, knocking out power to more than 13,000 SMUD customers in Sacramento’s northeast suburbs. Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uproot

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uproot was circa 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Uproot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproot. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

uproot

verb
: to remove by or as if by pulling up by the roots
uproot a vine
families uprooted by war

More from Merriam-Webster on uproot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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