upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend How to pronounce upend (audio)
upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1
: to set or stand on end
2
a
: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried
a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matronsWolcott Gibbs
b

intransitive verb

: to rise on an end

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 Her unwavering support for Ukraine’s battle against Russia and for Western alliances like NATO that Mr. Trump has threatened to upend put her at odds with the party’s base on the United States’ place in the world. Jonathan Weisman Ruth Fremson, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The biggest recent development in Nigerien politics, a 2023 military coup that upended its democracy—and drove out the French postcolonial presence—happened after the album was completed. Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2024 Its formidable goals are to upend wrongful convictions, help those for whom small fines are mammoth roadblocks, and work toward what seem like commonsense reforms once somebody says them out loud. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 3 Mar. 2024 Yet a massive change is afoot that threatens to upend this supply chain and jolt prices for sweets, skin-care products and herbal medicines. Mumbi Gitau, Fortune Europe, 27 Feb. 2024 As The Verge’s Nilay Patel and Sarah Jeong recently discussed on the Decoder podcast, the cases have the potential to upend or even obliterate the nascent industry. Wes Davis, The Verge, 27 Feb. 2024 The oldest members of Gen Z were 23 in 2020, when the pandemic abruptly upended the workplace, or, in some industries, shut it down entirely. Lisa Conn, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Within Arab circles, especially, the symbolism of a self-immolation is potent: a Tunisian fruit vendor who burned himself to death in 2011 set off pro-democracy rebellions that toppled dictators and upended the Middle East. Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 At the same time, companies are retreating from office space, creating high vacancy rates and upending the commercial real estate landscape. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upend was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near upend

Cite this Entry

“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upend. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upend

verb
up·​end ˌə-ˈpend How to pronounce upend (audio)
: to set, stand, or rise on end

More from Merriam-Webster on upend

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