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 The subdiscipline basically denotes the study of everything that can be uprooted with a shovel. Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024 Tornado damage often has a chaotic appearance, according to NWS, whereas straight-line winds usually uproot trees in the same direction. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 Anti-prison abolitionists believe that the justice system is inherently racist and should be uprooted. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 Officials say that the back-to-back storms, years of beach erosion, high tides and saturated soils eventually caused the trees to be uprooted. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Alongside her husband and children, the Rose family is faced with starting over in the titular rural town as their lives were uprooted after being defrauded by their business manager. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 29 Jan. 2024 Soldiers uproot the poppy plants from a field or two and file a report: mission accomplished. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 More:Detroit reaches 73 degrees, sets new record for high temperature in February More:Temperatures plunge across Michigan, some cities by 50+ degrees in just 24 hours The tornado uprooted trees and snapped utility poles in half. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 Keke’s parents have been with her from the beginning, uprooting their family from their home in the Chicago suburbs all the way to Hollywood to support her dreams. Ale Russian, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'uproot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near uproot

Cite this Entry

“Uproot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproot. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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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