uproot

verb up·root \ (ˌ)əp-ˈrüt , -ˈru̇t \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

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Examples: uproot in a Sentence

Definition of uproot

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

transitive verb

1 : to remove as if by pulling up

2 : to pull up by the roots

3 : to displace from a country or traditional habitat

—

uprootedness

noun

—

uprooter

noun

See uproot defined for English-language learners

See uproot defined for kids

Examples of uproot in a Sentence

Many trees were uprooted by the storm.
Will we ever be able to uproot racial prejudice?
Taking the job would mean uprooting my family.

Recent Examples of uproot from the Web

Yazzie is a survivor of the 100-year pluslegacy of Native American children who were uprooted from their homes, families, culture and traditions and schooled in the modern — meaning Anglo — ways.

— john d'anna, azcentral, "Think child separations are unprecedented? Here are 3 heartbreaking examples from history," 21 June 2018
Becca takes her show on the road, uprooting her gaggle of guys and taking them to Park City, Utah.

— melissa locker, Time, "The Bachelorette Watch: Becca Wants a 'Lumberjack for Her Lumberjill'," 19 June 2018
Her parents had been uprooted by the CIA's Secret War in Laos; her mother spent more than 10 years in a refugee camp.

— moni basu, CNN, "Blue state, red valley: In this part of California, a new generation is more woke than ever," 1 June 2018
The first season follows dancer siblings, played by Lauryn McClain and Petrice Jones, who are uprooted from suburban Ohio to live with their uncle (Faizon Love) and must settle into a new home, new school and new life.

— natalie jarvey, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Step Up: High Water' Renewed for Second Season at YouTube," 22 May 2018
Gashes have appeared along the city’s sidewalks where docking stations have been uprooted.

— sam schechner, WSJ, "Famed Parisian Bike Network Rolls Into a Ditch," 26 Apr. 2018
Boneyard Beach is a must-see, with its twisted and tangled skeletal remains of live oaks and cedar trees, beaten down and uprooted by storms and erosion, salt-washed, sea-bashed and sun-beaten.

— bob rountree, Sun-Sentinel.com, "The Talbot Islands: paradise on the edge," 10 Apr. 2018
Inka Moss, the only Peruvian exporter, has been teaching communities in the central Junín region since 2010 to harvest moss without uprooting it, allowing the plant to regenerate.

— The Economist, "Peru discovers the value of moss," 5 Apr. 2018
Al-Bab's strategic location allowed Turkey earlier this year to uproot the YPG from its westernmost stronghold Afrin, thwarting a contiguous Kurdish entity along the border.

— sarah el deeb, Fox News, "Blurring the border, Turkey deepens roots in northern Syria," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uproot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of uproot

circa 1620

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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uproot Synonyms

Synonyms

extract, prize, pry, pull, root (out), tear (out), wrest, wring, yank;

Near Antonyms

implant, insert, install, instill;

cram, jam, ram, stuff, wedge;

Synonym Discussion of uproot

exterminate, extirpate, eradicate, uproot mean to effect the destruction or abolition of something. exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

- exterminate cockroaches

extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

- many species have been extirpated from the area

eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

- a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

- the war uprooted thousands

UPROOT Defined for English Language Learners

uproot

verb

Definition of uproot for English Language Learners

: to pull (a plant and its root) completely out of the ground
: to remove (something) completely
: to make (someone) leave home and move to a different place

UPROOT Defined for Kids

uproot

verb up·root \ ˌəp-ˈrüt , -ˈru̇t \

Definition of uproot for Students

uprooted; uprooting

1 : to take out by or as if by pulling up by the roots

Many trees were uprooted by the storm.

2 : to take, send, or force away from a country or a traditional home

Taking the job would mean moving and uprooting the family.

Learn More about uproot

See words that rhyme with uproot Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uproot Spanish Central: Translation of uproot Nglish: Translation of uproot for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of uproot for Arabic speakers

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uproot

Definition of uproot

uprootedness

uprooter

Examples of uproot in a Sentence

Recent Examples of uproot from the Web

First Known Use of uproot

uproot Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of uproot

UPROOT Defined for English Language Learners

uproot

Definition of uproot for English Language Learners

UPROOT Defined for Kids

uproot

Definition of uproot for Students

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