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

Beyond football, a DOJ probe that upends how the NFL and streamers do business could bleed into other sports, changing how exclusive streaming and bundling work in the US. —Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026

Even before Operation Metro Surge upended the state’s economy and the restaurant sector in particular, Minnesota’s hospitality industry struggled significantly in 2025, according to a new report from industry group Hospitality Minnesota and public relations and policy firm Fluence Advisory. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026

Their at-odds couple’s us-against-the-world attitude is upended by, of all things, reaching the top. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026

That would upend decades of precedent treating it as an international waterway that was free to transit. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026

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