uproot

verb

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
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 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.
My advice for anyone thinking of uprooting your life’s work: Keep putting yourself in environments full of ideal clients. Michelle Johnson, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 At one point, Jack suggests Ennis uproot his life and move close to him in Texas. Rich Juzwiak, Time, 24 June 2025 The tornado uprooted a giant maple tree, about 3 feet in diameter, which crushed the Bisson family home on Hoyland Ave., Syracuse.com reported. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025 However, where the fck was this energy from the other owners when John Fisher was uprooting a team with far more local history out of a top-10 TV market in the country? Sam Blum, New York Times, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for uproot

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uproot was circa 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Uproot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproot. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

uproot

verb
: to remove by or as if by pulling up by the roots
uproot a vine
families uprooted by war

More from Merriam-Webster on uproot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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