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

Silbert founded the farm in 2020 with the idea of selling the produce to a friend’s restaurant, but when the pandemic shutdown upended those plans, the farm project shifted into an event space. — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

But Spanish politics were upended last month by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, which set off huge street protests in the capital and other cities. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

For the Brotherhood, Rabaa became the defining catastrophe of its post-2013 political memory, upending its organization, self-conception, and belief in its own permanence. — Abdelrahman Elgendy, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Soaring property prices have upended European politics from Portugal to Germany, with the issue rising to the top of voter worries in several countries as prices race ahead of incomes. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 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