1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in erected
to fix in an upright position
we had to upend the sofa in order to fit it into the elevator
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upended
Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, even with the Saints missing Brees and top running back Alvin Kamara, the Bears were all too easily upended.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
But when a secret comes to life, their plans to attend the same college—and live out their happily ever after—are upended.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
Asheville was one of several western North Carolina towns ravaged by the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, which damaged structures and upended lives in September 2024.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025
Freight rates thus far in the second half of 2025 have been characterized by a constant decline on the heels of tariff whiplash that largely dominated the April-to-June stretch and ultimately upended (and cut short) the typical August-to-October peak shipping season.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Adolescence tells the story of Eddie (Graham) and Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco), whose lives are upended when their 13-year-old son Jamie (Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a girl at his school.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
But when Delilah unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep — literally — Kate and Mac’s life and holiday season get upended.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Annie Smith tallied two goals, while Addison Combs had a goal and an assist as Apponequet (4-0-1) upended Bourne 5-0 in a South Coast Conference game.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
The film, which Jacir has spent eight years developing, centers on a group of Palestinian villagers whose lives are upended by British occupation, tracing the birth of a national movement that reverberates through generations.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Its AlphaFold protein prediction project upended the field of biotech.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Once the war began, however, our lives were upended.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
But then a strike upended the team’s World Series run and the season came to a halt.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
But in February, that future was upended when Cano’s factory declared bankruptcy.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
While virtually all of society and the corporate world have been upended by the arrival of AI, Hollywood is in a particularly fraught situation with Sora and other video models.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The contest has already upended New York politics and drawn national attention.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Instead, Trump upended trade negotiations with Canada after a television ad with the voice of former President Ronald Reagan talking about tariffs.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, even with the Saints missing Brees and top running back Alvin Kamara, the Bears were all too easily upended.
—Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
But when a secret comes to life, their plans to attend the same college—and live out their happily ever after—are upended.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
Asheville was one of several western North Carolina towns ravaged by the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, which damaged structures and upended lives in September 2024.
—Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025
Freight rates thus far in the second half of 2025 have been characterized by a constant decline on the heels of tariff whiplash that largely dominated the April-to-June stretch and ultimately upended (and cut short) the typical August-to-October peak shipping season.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Adolescence tells the story of Eddie (Graham) and Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco), whose lives are upended when their 13-year-old son Jamie (Cooper) is arrested for the murder of a girl at his school.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
But when Delilah unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep — literally — Kate and Mac’s life and holiday season get upended.
—Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Annie Smith tallied two goals, while Addison Combs had a goal and an assist as Apponequet (4-0-1) upended Bourne 5-0 in a South Coast Conference game.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
The deployments have sparked intense backlash, a dizzying number of legal battles and upended daily life in communities flooded with federal agents and National Guard troops.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
The film, which Jacir has spent eight years developing, centers on a group of Palestinian villagers whose lives are upended by British occupation, tracing the birth of a national movement that reverberates through generations.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 23 Oct. 2025
Its AlphaFold protein prediction project upended the field of biotech.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Once the war began, however, our lives were upended.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
But then a strike upended the team’s World Series run and the season came to a halt.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
But in February, that future was upended when Cano’s factory declared bankruptcy.
—Ladan Anoushfar, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
While virtually all of society and the corporate world have been upended by the arrival of AI, Hollywood is in a particularly fraught situation with Sora and other video models.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
The contest has already upended New York politics and drawn national attention.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
The Blue Jays nearly defeated the Dodgers in Game 6 on Friday night, but the valiant comeback attempt fell short in the ninth inning as Los Angeles was able to turn a game-ending double play.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Spanberger then narrowly defeated Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the House of Delegates, in 2020 to be re-elected.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The end of a building erected in the 1940s?—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Lady Sarah was one of the committee members helping commission and manage the process of the statue erected in tribute to her late sister in 2021.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Patrick Mahomes overcame the worst start to a game in his storied career to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
-
While reflecting on the special father-son moment, Broderick said his son overcame his nerves.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Political leaders and many social media users raised questions about the effectiveness of flood preparations.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Biden then raised this handout to $130.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Most fans of the show have likely been bracing themselves to see how Hemsworth takes on a character Cavill has long mastered.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Few people have mastered the art of quietly luxurious style as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, and a quick scroll through her Instagram page proves it.—
Melony Forcier,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And last week the Supreme Court took the rare step of asking for additional briefing in that high-profile case.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Other papers in the journal took more specific aim at the theory.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Nicholas is dispatched to find the identity of the owner and locate a telephone.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Cincinnati Fire Department, 37 firefighters were dispatched to the bridge to attempt to rescue him.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Deep learning soon conquered speech recognition, translation, image captioning, board games, and even the problem of predicting how proteins will fold.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
And some fears really can be conquered.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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