1
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to erect
to fix in an upright position
we had to upend the sofa in order to fit it into the elevator
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upend
The deal brings OpenAI into the world of hardware, and underscores the growing sense in Silicon Valley that smart AI assistants could upend the gadget world.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 22 May 2025
The latest move intensifies the administration’s attempt to upend the culture of higher education by directly subverting the ability of one of the nation’s premier universities to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world.
—Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The move underscores the administration’s broader efforts to upend the DOJ's civil rights division’s traditions of pursuing cases to protect the civil rights of some of the country's most vulnerable and historically disenfranchised populations.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The admission upended Darin’s world and sparked a prolonged period of soul searching.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upend
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 22 May 2025
The latest move intensifies the administration’s attempt to upend the culture of higher education by directly subverting the ability of one of the nation’s premier universities to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world.
—Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 22 May 2025
The move underscores the administration’s broader efforts to upend the DOJ's civil rights division’s traditions of pursuing cases to protect the civil rights of some of the country's most vulnerable and historically disenfranchised populations.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The admission upended Darin’s world and sparked a prolonged period of soul searching.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upend
Verb
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And while Maresca’s position as head coach isn’t greatly consolidated by winning the least of them, defeat to Betis would have hurt him.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Su-hun represents everything Mun-oh aspires to be, serving as both inspiration and source of secret envy that has left Mun-oh feeling perpetually defeated.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 May 2025
Verb
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The regular season is winding down this month, but the Summer for the City festival is coming up, and a crew is erecting a stage near the central fountain.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
30 May 2025
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According to the lawsuit, the Williamses erected a shed against the church’s fence.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Learning how to overcome your own anxiety is the first step to helping your kids do the same, said Robbins.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
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The odds remain against them — only 16.1% of teams have overcome a 3-2 deficit in NBA playoff history — but the Knicks are coming off their best all-around performance of the series.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Stay hydrated: Since dry mouth raises gum disease risk, make sure to drink plenty of water.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
29 May 2025
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Fisher Scientific withdrew its full-year profit forecast while the medical equipment maker expects to take a $400 million hit in sales to China, as Trump’s tariffs would likely raise the cost of parts the company sources in China.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Verb
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There’s a belief that merely mastering a posture that keeps the battle alive, even if the defender successfully wipes the hand away while simultaneously bringing more power to the punches that do connect, can shift those win-rate averages from league worst to something more manageable.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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Maron will portray Chuck Plotkin, the producer who painstakingly mastered Springsteen’s pivotal 1982 album Nebraska.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Corey Feldman, Sean Astin and Ke Huy Quan were among the stars who took a moment to reflect on the major milestone Feldman documented his nostalgic visit to Astoria, Oregon, where the 1985 movie was filmed The Goonies turns 40!—
Grace Harrington,
People.com,
8 June 2025
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The Mujahideen Brigades took part in the October 7 attacks alongside Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups and took hostage some of the most high-profile captives, including a family whose suffering became a symbol of the attack.—
Jonny Hallam,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
Verb
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The men beat 27-year-old Chin with a baseball bat, cracking his skull.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
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The Padres beat Keller in early May in Pittsburgh, scoring five runs — four earned — in five innings.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Ephesus is primarily known as a Ionian Greek city, but it was later conquered and rebuilt by the Romans.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Updated June 4, 2025: In 2018, Eva Steinwald was still conquering her fear of heights.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upend. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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