uproot

verb

up·root | \ (ˌ)əp-ˈrüt

, -ˈru̇t

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

Definition of uproot

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

Other Words from uproot Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about uproot

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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

The Browns uprooted their lives from Alaska and moved to Southern California to get her the best care possible, and that transition was tough. — Megan Friedman, Country Living, "‘Alaskan Bush People’ Star Ami Brown: ‘I Still Don’t Have All My Strength Up Yet’ After Cancer," 18 Aug. 2018 But some caution against rushing to uproot coffee trees. — Caroline Wambui, The Christian Science Monitor, "Kenyan farmers swap coffee for avocados to tap into global boom," 6 July 2018 The drenching rain also uprooted some trees, including one on Kelly Drive along Boathouse Row. — Philly.com, "Downpours flood region, close I-76 into Philadelphia," 11 June 2018 In the wake of last September’s devastating Hurricane Irma, much of St. Barth’s was bruised and battered, uprooted and sheared. — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "St. Barth’s Is Back—Here’s Where to Go," 30 Nov. 2018 For most of the uprooted now living across the south, life is precarious. — Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post, "Could Yemen’s humanitarian crisis — the most dire in the world — be about to get dramatically worse?," 14 June 2018 This sense of what lies ahead is what led me to uproot my life in New York and move my son and myself to Los Angeles. — John P. Darcy, Vogue, "The Year We Left New York," 27 Dec. 2018 There was only a vast sea of debris: wooden beams filled with nails, shattered toilets and glass, concrete rubble, uprooted trees, twisted power transformers. — Todd Pitman, Fox News, "AP WAS THERE: 2013 typhoon kills thousands in Philippines," 15 Sep. 2018 Torrential rains are one risk, but heavy winds can also compromise earthen dams by uprooting trees and causing voids. — Jon Kamp, WSJ, "As Hurricane Florence Looms, States Check Dam Integrity," 12 Sep. 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.