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
Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Alongside a carousel of photos showing the puppy’s compact frame and expressive face was a screengrab from an Embark DNA results page—evidence that upended expectations.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In a fanciful technicolor town full of dueling beauty shops, drag queens and midcentury flair, a young woman’s quest to defy her family is upended when her menstrual cramps manifest themselves as actual monsters.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Their eccentric existence is suddenly upended when Daniel (Gleeson), an awkward official, arrives with orders to relocate them.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed Tuesday, one day after powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and upended air travel in a cross-section of cities.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Brent soared as much as 29% to near $120 a barrel, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, with the US threatening to deepen a conflict that’s upended energy markets.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Life, and with it, the family’s cooking, upended.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 5 Mar. 2026
Aside from the human toll from the war, the fighting in the Middle East has rattled markets and upended supply chains, threatening to drive prices higher for American consumers on everything from home loans to groceries.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The criminal charges and investigations have upended the tiny municipality over the last few years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of delays and cancellations upended the airport in the two days following the collision, whose cause is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent has surged around 60% in March as the war between the US, Israel and Iran upended global markets and triggered concern about a simultaneous spike in inflation and slowdown in growth.
—The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended those longstanding traditions.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Apple's MacBook Neo has upended the affordable laptop market, but even this high-value buy can be improved with some simple modifications.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended the travel industry, too, with forecasters estimating airfares — which have jumped sixfold on some routes — will remain high for months.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Disagreements over the war have disrupted family dinners, upended friendships, and splintered congregations.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Alongside a carousel of photos showing the puppy’s compact frame and expressive face was a screengrab from an Embark DNA results page—evidence that upended expectations.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
In a fanciful technicolor town full of dueling beauty shops, drag queens and midcentury flair, a young woman’s quest to defy her family is upended when her menstrual cramps manifest themselves as actual monsters.
—William Earl, Variety, 25 Mar. 2026
Their eccentric existence is suddenly upended when Daniel (Gleeson), an awkward official, arrives with orders to relocate them.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed Tuesday, one day after powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and upended air travel in a cross-section of cities.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Brent soared as much as 29% to near $120 a barrel, the biggest intraday move since April 2020, with the US threatening to deepen a conflict that’s upended energy markets.
—Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
Life, and with it, the family’s cooking, upended.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 5 Mar. 2026
Aside from the human toll from the war, the fighting in the Middle East has rattled markets and upended supply chains, threatening to drive prices higher for American consumers on everything from home loans to groceries.
—Shannon Pettypiece, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Middle Eastern conflict has upended the air cargo industry over the past year, leaving questions about the demand landscape if prices to fly goods continue to increase.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
The criminal charges and investigations have upended the tiny municipality over the last few years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
The actor opens up about her tumultuous childhood, her five-decade-long career and the MS diagnosis that upended it all.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of delays and cancellations upended the airport in the two days following the collision, whose cause is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Brent has surged around 60% in March as the war between the US, Israel and Iran upended global markets and triggered concern about a simultaneous spike in inflation and slowdown in growth.
—The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended those longstanding traditions.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Apple's MacBook Neo has upended the affordable laptop market, but even this high-value buy can be improved with some simple modifications.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The war has upended the travel industry, too, with forecasters estimating airfares — which have jumped sixfold on some routes — will remain high for months.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
The women carried their burden with grace and defeated Notre Dame.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Adam Sykora broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The following morning, the Miami City Commission ordered a new bandshell to be erected immediately, and in time to facilitate the Shrine convention coming to Miami in May.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Foundations and slab work are complete, structural steel is being erected and roofing is underway.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly's snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Anaheim goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trip raised hopes among some members on the WhatsApp chain that expressions of empathy toward Palestinians will become more common at Beth El, both from the bimah and in synagogue-wide communications.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Together, the reports signal a possible escalation in the Iran -war — the fallout of which has already rattled markets and raised fears of broader supply chain disruptions and higher global prices.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For example, 53% of CISD students mastered grade level in its 2024 STAAR scores, compared with 14% in Uplift Education, which was the lowest among the four charter schools presented on the chart.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
This is more than the one-and-done era, which Calipari mastered; or the advent of the 3-point line, which Pitino owned before everyone else.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Knicks were able to close the gap behind 17 first-quarter points from Brunson but Charlotte took command late in the second quarter and pushed the lead to 10 at halftime with a series of 3s from Knueppel, Ball and Miller.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
For 10 minutes, Boyd took in the scene as the flags whipped above the center-field scoreboard, Cubs infielders took grounders and stadium workers finished final preparations before 39,712 fans streamed into the ballpark.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
More than 200 Ukrainian experts have been dispatched to advise Middle East countries on how to intercept attacks that have wreaked havoc on energy infrastructure across the region.—
Anniek Bao,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Robbins was suspended by coach Bill Callahan, dispatched to the Betty Ford Center for rehab, and the Raiders lost 48-21 to Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Japanese conquered the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island.—
Gil Troy,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
By the 1770s, Linnaeus had pretty much conquered Europe—all, that is, except for the King’s Garden in Paris, where Georges Buffon, the garden’s director, adamantly rejected his system as arbitrary and artificial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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