upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend 

upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1

: to set or stand on end

also : overturn sense 1

upended the bucket to use as a stool

2

a

: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried

… a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matrons …

—Wolcott Gibbs

b

: defeat, beat

intransitive verb

: to rise on an end

Synonyms of upend

• defeat
• overcome
• master
• take
• beat
• worst
• conquer
• get
• best
• stop

Examples of upend in a Sentence

He upended the bicycle to fix its flat tire.

I upended the bucket to use as a stool.

The security inspector upended my bag and dumped everything out.

A giant wave upended the surfers.

The midfielder was upended before he got the ball.

Recent Examples on the Web

Arizona scored on a 24-yard run by Quincy Craig with just 39 seconds to play to complete a comeback from a 10-point deficit and upend the Jayhawks 24-20 on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Nov. 2025

But the arrival of a wealthy entrepreneur from London upends everything, with her parents, her grandmother and her community planning Nafisa’s future without her knowledge. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 9 Nov. 2025

However, upending the long-standing distinction between service fees and tips doesn’t appear likely. —Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

That did not happen, but things need to be upended in 2026. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for upend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

upend

verb

up·​end ˌə-ˈpend 

: to set, stand, or rise on end