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

Sarah Nuwayhid in Beirut is in her first year of university, an important milestone in any young person’s life, but the war between Israel and Hezbollah upended her plans. —Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026

Sara Keck dazzled in relief and also hit a home run and a triple, while Erin McCarthy went 3-for-5 with four RBI as Wilmington upended Burlington, 12-1. —Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

No Lives Lost, But Lives Have Been Altered But lives have been upended. —Ryan Brennan april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Families, including Whitney Conley, have already paid for the majority of the trip, but earlier this month, an email from GoPlay Sports upended everything. —Liz Crawford, CBS News, 23 Apr. 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