UPEND Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

upend

verb

ˌəp-ˈend

Definition of upend

as in to defeat

to achieve a victory over the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to erect

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 upend Menopause, empty nests and romantic misadventures upend the lives of four women, who have had enough of being reasonable. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 That will upend the lives of locals like 27-year-old Sánchez and her two young daughters, whose rural town of Limón de Chagres is one of dozens of communities along the Indio River that will be affected. — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026 In extreme cases, these can cause extreme mental health spirals that upend someone’s personal and professional life, sometimes ending in self harm or suicide. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026 Here is what the actress has shared about the diagnosis that upended her year. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upend

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upend

Verb

This was the sixth year in a row that the Yankees failed to defeat a higher-seeded playoff opponent.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Although supporters say the fear that billionaires will flee the state are overblown, the ultrawealthy have made moves to potentially avoid paying the tax or are funding campaigns to defeat it.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeat

Verb

Under a rerouting plan, original power lines were moved north, erected next to existing infrastructure, or affixed with visual warning systems or bird diverters.

— Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
The latest standoff is over a pair of revenue-generating digital billboards the tribe erected on the Sunrise Highway that the state Department of Transportation claims pose a dangerous distraction to passing motorists.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of erect

Verb

Experts who are part of consultations expect the new policy to lay down clear and consistent rules, which will also help the industry overcome challenges around land acquisition and simplify a fragmented approval process.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.

— Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

Japan has also raised concern over China's gradual escalation of its military activity around remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Still, Converse’s sales hemorrhage raises fair questions about whether this is more than a cyclical decline.

— Phil Wahba, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of raise

Verb

Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Complicating things is the current Administration, which has mastered the art of using those message-delivery systems to spread doubt and discontent and suspicion.

— Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of master

Verb

Allen took only two dribbles — one before midcourt and one after — gathered his feet, and pulled up from the left side of the arc.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Revell said that no arrests had yet been made, nor anyone taken into custody, but that police believed one shooter was involved.

— Samantha Cookinham, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of take

Verb

For founders sitting atop a mountain of stock, that beats selling shares, paying tax, and then giving away the cash.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
The defense has exceeded expectations and continues to cement itself as a top-20, maybe even a top-15 defense, while the offense remains a disappointment, even after beating the Bears (4-2, 2-1).

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of beat

Verb

Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
The announcement comes after a summer in which AI models have repeatedly conquered many of math’s longstanding open challenges, including one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems.

— Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquer

Browse Nearby Words

updos

upend

upended

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upend. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of upend

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes