uproot

verb

up·​root (ˌ)əp-ˈrüt  -ˈru̇t 

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

transitive verb

1

: to remove as if by pulling up

striving to uproot poverty

2

: to pull up by the roots

Many trees were uprooted by the storm.

3

: to displace from a country or traditional habitat

Taking the job would mean uprooting my family.

uprootedness noun

uprooter noun

Synonyms of uproot

• pry
• pull
• yank
• extract
• pluck

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 Clooneys have been living in France with their children after uprooting the family to get away from the culture of Hollywood, the Academy Award-winning actor and director said in October. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026

Many South Florida Equestrian Village clients are from across the United States and Canada, and because horses demand a lot of attention and care, some owners will uproot their lives for as long as half the year and live at Sunshine Meadows in a tiny home or an RV. —Abigail Hasebroock, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026

That means uprooting institutionalized callousness and redefining what counts as efficiency, innovation and value. —Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026

But for this to happen, the Maduro regime—which exceeds Maduro himself—would have to be completely uprooted. —Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for uproot

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

uproot

verb

up·​root (ˌ)ə-ˈprüt  -ˈpru̇t 

: to remove by or as if by pulling up by the roots

uproot a vine

families uprooted by war