upend

verb

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

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

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
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.
That campaign has upended daily life for people on the peninsula, resulting in frequent drone strikes, a ban on gas sales to ordinary residents, and the suspension of summer camps for children. Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 The Temple Mount movement — a loose coalition of Israeli religious and nationalist organizations — harbors a potentially explosive mix of prophecy and politics that aims to upend some 1,300 years of Muslim control over the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest one for Jews. Gabe Joselow, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Georgia’s special legislative session cost taxpayers more than $300,000, money that paid for the state’s part-time lawmakers to return to Atlanta amid bustling World Cup matches to prevent a crisis that threatened to upend the midterm elections. Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 26 June 2026 This arrangement worked well until the vine-killing louse made its way from Bordeaux to Rioja and destroyed the vineyards there, which upended the region’s industry for decades. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for upend

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upend. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

upend

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

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