upended; upending; upends
1
: to set or stand on end
: 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
Human rights advocates are echoing that sentiment, warning that the Iran war not only has killed more than 1,000 people but upended the institutions and historical places that communities rely on.
—
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
The last time Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed a film, Netflix, Amazon and Apple weren’t making movies, COVID hadn’t changed theatergoing habits and the existential threat of AI wasn’t upending the industry.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The question of who should replace him in the racially and economically diverse district — spanning downtown, swaths of the West and South sides and the west suburbs — has drawn national interest, with super PAC dollars upending the fundraising ground game.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
In December, Seattle City Council upended the city’s zoning rules to allow for four-story apartment buildings on every residential lot.
—Allie Cannington, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upend
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.
ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
The last time Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed a film, Netflix, Amazon and Apple weren’t making movies, COVID hadn’t changed theatergoing habits and the existential threat of AI wasn’t upending the industry.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The question of who should replace him in the racially and economically diverse district — spanning downtown, swaths of the West and South sides and the west suburbs — has drawn national interest, with super PAC dollars upending the fundraising ground game.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
In December, Seattle City Council upended the city’s zoning rules to allow for four-story apartment buildings on every residential lot.
—Allie Cannington, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upend
Cite this Entry
“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upend. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upend
verb
up·end
ˌə-ˈpend 
: to set, stand, or rise on end
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
