upend

verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to set or stand on end
2
a
: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried
a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matronsWolcott 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.
Maya Levin | Afp | Getty Images The ceasefire agreement follows a brutal two-year war that has sparked global outcry, upended the Middle East and left Israel increasingly isolated on the international stage. Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025 The new probe adds to several other open investigations into Tesla technology that could upend Elon Musk’s plans to turn millions of his cars already on the road into completely driverless vehicles with an over-the-air update to their software. CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Malkin now has five points in two games, Crosby scored his first goal of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins received the game-winner from Justin Brazeau while upending the New York Islanders 4-3 in the home opener at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. Josh Yohe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The old model for startups (raise a few rounds of venture money, then go public) or buyouts (clean up the business, then relist within a few years) has been upended by the rise of private money as an alternative to being public. Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2025 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 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

upend

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

More from Merriam-Webster on upend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!