upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend 

upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1

: to set or stand on end

also : overturn sense 1

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

• 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

When his young son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) and Walter’s cat upend the performance with their unruly behavior, Charles’s wife, Catherine (Thurman), persuades Charles not to punish the kid but instead to use the opportunity to teach him about Jesus (Isaac). —Chris Deville, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025

The Supreme Court’s ruling restricting judges’ ability to constrain Trump is likely to upend how litigation against the administration plays out going forward. —Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025

Before long, his life is plagued by a series of mysterious, sinister incidents that threaten to upend his success and bring about a most violent demise. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 July 2025

Then a misdemeanor assault charge in 2020 upended her life. —Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 30 June 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