upturn

1 of 2

verb

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn 

ˌəp-ˈtərn

upturned; upturning; upturns

transitive verb

1

: to turn up or over

upturned a trash can

2

: to direct upward

upturned faces

intransitive verb

: to turn upward

upturn

2 of 2

noun

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn 

: an upward turn especially toward better conditions or higher prices

an upturn in sales

Synonyms of upturn

Verb

• rise
• climb
• ascend
• soar

Examples of upturn in a Sentence

Verb

at this point the road upturns steeply, the trees become scarcer, and the valley unfolds before you

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Queen Macbeth offered the chance to upturn the potent myth in Shakespeare’s play. — Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026

And that means that vibe coding — as with any technology that suddenly shifts a good from scarcity to plenty — has the potential to upturn much of the core calculus, thinking and economics that underpin how and what companies currently do and build. — Gina Chua, semafor.com, 5 June 2025

Noun

But, Goldman Sachs asks, is the upturn in IPOs a sign that the stock market is heading into a bubble? — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 July 2026

Possible reasons include abnormal changes in blood markers, as identified in an athlete’s biological passport (ABP), a sudden upturn in performances, or a lead obtained by intelligence and investigations teams. — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1864, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upturn

• adjourn
• concern
• decern
• discern
• downturn
• extern
• heartburn
• interne
• nocturne
• return
• sunburn
• unworn

Kids Definition

upturn

1 of 2 verb

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn 

ˌəp-ˈtərn

1

: to turn up or over

an upturned boat

2

: to turn or direct upward

upturned faces

upturn

2 of 2 noun

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn 

: an upward turning (as toward better conditions or higher prices)