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

After months of relative quiet following the Supreme Court’s February decision that upended the president’s sweeping tariffs on global trading partners, the administration is once again taking aim. — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

New research is upending that timeline, with women in their early 30s reporting classic symptoms once considered years away. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 July 2026

And in the April film The Drama, a man named Charlie (played by Robert Pattinson) learns something about his fiancée, Emma (Zendaya), that upends his understanding of her right before their wedding. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

The fast growth of massive data centers has already upended races for local offices across the country, often uniting conservatives and liberals in revolting against projects in their midst. — Marc Levy, Fortune, 23 July 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