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

Trump has upended Washington’s decades of careful diplomacy to cultivate relations with the three major emerging markets. —Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025

But Bóka asserted that Europe's political architecture has been dramatically upended in the near-century since that era, with the true threat to Jewish livelihood on the continent now emanating from extremist left-wing and Islamist political entities. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was upended by a bus accident at 18. —CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Public health experts say both moves are scientifically unsound and would essentially upend the nation's childhood vaccination regimen, leaving children vulnerable to diseases that had long been brought under control. —NPR, 20 Nov. 2025

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