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
Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Thomas, who was a runner, had his life completely upended, going in and out of various hospitals for the rest of his life.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The group is suddenly upended when one couple -- Anne and Nick (Kenney-Silver and Steve Carrell, respectively) -- abruptly divorces and Nick introduces the group to a younger girlfriend, Ginny (Henningsen).
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 28 May 2026
Set in sunny Palm Springs, the story follows a wealthy, politically conservative family whose Christmas is upended when their daughter returns home to reveal she’s written an explosive tell-all memoir.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 May 2026
But their fresh start is quickly upended when a wildfire tears through the property.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
While schools have focused on catching kids up since the COVID-19 pandemic upended education, reading test scores have been falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
—CBS News, 13 May 2026
The raid upended tenants’ lives.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 13 May 2026
China’s decision to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets, and its ban on semiconductors from Nexperia China, upended supply chains central to global automakers, with political and economic consequences across Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 10 June 2026
But her warm welcome to London was quickly upended by the sudden and vague exit of Manifold.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 June 2026
The assaults upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The recent successful Revolution trial that has upended the specialty tested daraxonrasib versus chemotherapy as a second-line treatment.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 8 June 2026
On the limited series, based on Araminta Hall’s 2020 novel of the same name, Washington plays Eleanor, a successful CEO whose life is upended when one of her best friends is murdered.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 6 June 2026
The delicate balance was upended for 15 years, between 1975 and 1990, when a deadly civil war tore the country apart.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
O'Connell says that the controversy has upended her life.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
While many voters may have been unfamiliar with the insurance commissioner’s role heading into Election Day, the position has become increasingly critical in recent years as destructive wildfires have upended the state’s home insurance market.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Adjective
Old assumptions about authority, trust and social status were shaken if not upended.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Thomas, who was a runner, had his life completely upended, going in and out of various hospitals for the rest of his life.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
The group is suddenly upended when one couple -- Anne and Nick (Kenney-Silver and Steve Carrell, respectively) -- abruptly divorces and Nick introduces the group to a younger girlfriend, Ginny (Henningsen).
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 28 May 2026
Set in sunny Palm Springs, the story follows a wealthy, politically conservative family whose Christmas is upended when their daughter returns home to reveal she’s written an explosive tell-all memoir.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 May 2026
But their fresh start is quickly upended when a wildfire tears through the property.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
While schools have focused on catching kids up since the COVID-19 pandemic upended education, reading test scores have been falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
—CBS News, 13 May 2026
The raid upended tenants’ lives.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 13 May 2026
China’s decision to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets, and its ban on semiconductors from Nexperia China, upended supply chains central to global automakers, with political and economic consequences across Europe, Japan, and South Korea.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 11 May 2026
Verb
Dunham said that if Lee’s case ends up before the Supreme Court and the state attorney general gets his way, the lower court’s ruling could be upended.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 10 June 2026
But her warm welcome to London was quickly upended by the sudden and vague exit of Manifold.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 June 2026
The assaults upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The recent successful Revolution trial that has upended the specialty tested daraxonrasib versus chemotherapy as a second-line treatment.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 8 June 2026
On the limited series, based on Araminta Hall’s 2020 novel of the same name, Washington plays Eleanor, a successful CEO whose life is upended when one of her best friends is murdered.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 6 June 2026
The delicate balance was upended for 15 years, between 1975 and 1990, when a deadly civil war tore the country apart.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
O'Connell says that the controversy has upended her life.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
While many voters may have been unfamiliar with the insurance commissioner’s role heading into Election Day, the position has become increasingly critical in recent years as destructive wildfires have upended the state’s home insurance market.
—Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upended
Verb
-
Schumaker was on the Cardinals team that in 2011 that defeated the Rangers in seven games to win the World Series.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Georgia defeated Mississippi State 11-9 in 10 innings on Sunday to sweep the Athens Super Regional and clinch the school’s first trip back to the College World Series since 2008.—
Hunter DeLauder,
AJC.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Demonstrating that the arena floor can, in fact, be transformed into a wedding venue, a huge white carpet was laid on the floor and an altar erected on a stage.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
-
To voice their support for telework, state workers have regularly held rallies in opposition to Newsom’s return-to-office order and erected billboards along freeways to support their cause.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Carolina overcame the same deficit, in the third period, to win Game 2 in overtime.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
-
Slowed by a medical issue the last two seasons, DeMaio overcame that hurdle to have a huge senior year playing alongside her twin sister, Ava.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Lenny, who was born and raised on Maui, caught his first wave at Cove Park in Kihei at age four, was windsurfing by age six, and was tackling giant waves in his teens.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Filings show that between January and March, Schmidt raised about $177,000.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated June 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Eva Longoria has mastered the art of the Euro summer outfit.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
12 June 2026
-
Whatever the account, these are poems that have not simply endured time, but have mastered it, capturing it in their movements, their tides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
After the second red card, Mexico took its foot off the gas again and was met with whistles from the crowd, who were hungry for more goals.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
His 10-year-old son died after paramedics took him to a nearby hospital with severe injuries.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
That Spurs team was just on the verge of becoming the next century’s most consistent franchise and easily dispatched the Knicks in five games.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the fire has covered approximately 12 acres, and a helicopter has been dispatched to help with control efforts.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man, aka Prince Adam of Eternia, who, as an adolescent, was sent to Earth after his kingdom was conquered by Skeletor, played by Jared Leto as a purring diva.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
8 June 2026
-
The inventor of the Basque cheesecake, a dessert that has conquered the world, will retire next year, leaving behind a legacy that has reshaped menus globally.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upended. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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