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
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
The story centres on a couple in the days before their anniversary celebrations, whose relationship is quietly upended when a letter arrives from Switzerland – connected to the decades-old discovery of a woman’s body preserved in glacial ice.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has killed thousands of people and upended global markets by disrupting the flow of oil.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Apr. 2026
The union representing rank-and-file officers, and many of their attorneys, say Bonta needlessly upended dozens of people’s lives with unwarranted criminal charges.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Just when the group seems to have reunited to support Jim and come to a peaceful ending, everything gets completely upended with a shocking murder in the final moments.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
The strike is most certainly a factor in that data, given that the work stoppage continued into the start of the fall season and upended production schedules left and right.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Found Sound is a story about two kids, Felix and Marigold, and a seemingly dull summer vacation that’s upended when the kids find an old wooden box that says OPEN ME.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
But the sell-off has had much deeper implications for many markets beyond New York, with the outperformance achieved by some international indices last year now upended.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Hastings’s comments come as AI has upended the job market for computer science graduates early in their careers.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
And the administration has upended Title IX enforcement to focus on restricting rights for transgender young people.
—Ronald Brownstein, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Sarah Nuwayhid in Beirut is in her first year of university, an important milestone in any young person’s life, but the war between Israel and Hezbollah upended her plans.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Though the drone attack did not result in any apparent leak of radiation, the incident showed how the war has upended assumptions about nuclear safety, said Solonenko, the radiation safety shift chief.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Sara Keck dazzled in relief and also hit a home run and a triple, while Erin McCarthy went 3-for-5 with four RBI as Wilmington upended Burlington, 12-1.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
No Lives Lost, But Lives Have Been Altered But lives have been upended.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The world may have been upended by the war and the ink has barely dried on the Treaty of Versailles, but the society doyennes are doing their darnedest to return to the rituals and rites that used to govern our days.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
This upended conventional thinking.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
The story centres on a couple in the days before their anniversary celebrations, whose relationship is quietly upended when a letter arrives from Switzerland – connected to the decades-old discovery of a woman’s body preserved in glacial ice.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The Iran war has killed thousands of people and upended global markets by disrupting the flow of oil.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Apr. 2026
The union representing rank-and-file officers, and many of their attorneys, say Bonta needlessly upended dozens of people’s lives with unwarranted criminal charges.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Just when the group seems to have reunited to support Jim and come to a peaceful ending, everything gets completely upended with a shocking murder in the final moments.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
The strike is most certainly a factor in that data, given that the work stoppage continued into the start of the fall season and upended production schedules left and right.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026
Found Sound is a story about two kids, Felix and Marigold, and a seemingly dull summer vacation that’s upended when the kids find an old wooden box that says OPEN ME.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
But the sell-off has had much deeper implications for many markets beyond New York, with the outperformance achieved by some international indices last year now upended.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Now, however, simply getting art supplies is a challenge, as his life and career have been upended by the regional war.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Hastings’s comments come as AI has upended the job market for computer science graduates early in their careers.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
And the administration has upended Title IX enforcement to focus on restricting rights for transgender young people.
—Ronald Brownstein, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
Sarah Nuwayhid in Beirut is in her first year of university, an important milestone in any young person’s life, but the war between Israel and Hezbollah upended her plans.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
Though the drone attack did not result in any apparent leak of radiation, the incident showed how the war has upended assumptions about nuclear safety, said Solonenko, the radiation safety shift chief.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Sara Keck dazzled in relief and also hit a home run and a triple, while Erin McCarthy went 3-for-5 with four RBI as Wilmington upended Burlington, 12-1.
—Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
No Lives Lost, But Lives Have Been Altered But lives have been upended.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The world may have been upended by the war and the ink has barely dried on the Treaty of Versailles, but the society doyennes are doing their darnedest to return to the rituals and rites that used to govern our days.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
Atletico earned a spot in the final four courtesy of a quarter-final victory against Spanish rivals Barcelona, while Arsenal defeated Portuguese side Sporting CP.—
The Athletic Live Team,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Huarte defeated Woodbridge senior Brady Tallakson 7-6 (3), 6-1 in the CIF boys final at Libbey Park to capture the title one year after falling in the championship match.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By Thursday afternoon, London authorities had erected barriers around the statue.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
In addition to the locals, people from all over Bavaria and beyond flocked to the small village of about 4,500 residents on Friday to watch the Maypole being erected — a custom that has been observed for centuries and is deeply rooted in Bavarian folklore.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The Trojans overcame a 9-8 third-quarter deficit to gain a repeat visit to the final.—
Glae Thien,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Michael Jackson movie overcame poor reviews and production problems to achieve a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In that moment, Caldentey looked up, assessed the situation, and raised her right arm.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
These questions were raised after reporting by The New York Times in August 2024 regarding Moore’s untruthful claims about receiving the Bronze Star in Afghanistan — a story originally reported on in 2022 by FOX45’s Mikenzie Frost.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Over the course of a 60-year career, director Ted Kotcheff mastered just about every genre there was to conquer.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Such are the perks of having mastered the form early, while amassing the cultural capital to remake pop in her image.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chaminade took an 11-10 lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Siena Greenlinger.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, Carr posted a riposte to a commenter on X who took aim at the FCC chief.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Owls will face Abilene Wylie (22-13), which dispatched El Paso Del Valle in 2 games, 5-2 and 5-0.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 May 2026
-
Then in mid-March, Toluca dispatched San Diego from the Champions Cup Round of 16.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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With over 40 years of experience and a heritage rooted in the prestigious Valmont Clinic on the Swiss Riviera, the brand has conquered the world of skincare, combining advanced science, the purest natural ingredients from the Alps, and an unmistakable artistic sensibility.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Admittedly, the company conquered the market in large part by achieving a dramatic reduction in launch costs.—
Ben Tarnoff,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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