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

Digger contains a twist upending its narrative that’s complicated the reviews and discussion as critics have been tiptoeing around describing the film’s actual meta storyline. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026

Valar and other companies are hoping to upend the nuclear business model because small reactors can be mass-produced and placed in series, like a set of nuclear batteries. — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

In April, Peruvians, upset by the sharpest monthly inflation spike in the country in more than 30 years, showed how economic anxiety can upend politics and open the door to populists. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

But Paulina’s big plans are upended by the arrival at the school of Ericka (Jasmine Amy Rogers), a light-skinned Black girl from America with a Ghanaian father and a white mother back in Ohio. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 29 Sep. 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