1
as in defeating
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 erecting
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 upending
Rising fuel costs are upending travel and logistics, while tight supplies of other materials from the Middle East, such as fertilizer and helium, could lead to more expensive food and electronics.
—
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
And upending the global supply chain has proven costly for businesses and households that are already strained by rising prices.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Indiana beating the Miami Heat and Toronto upending Orlando means the Hornets remain in 10th place in the conference.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Economic and consumer confidence plummeted in Europe in March, according to official data released on Monday, in the latest evidence of how the Iran war is upending growth and inflation expectations.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The defense secretary is upending decades-old norms, current and former leaders say, with some cautioning that his proselytizing violates the Constitution and undermines troop cohesion.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2026
The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones from November 2023 until January 2025, upending shipping in this waterway in the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, key for the passage of goods through the region.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life.
—Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Livermore and Oakland reached 91 degrees, upending Livermore’s previous record of 90 set last year and Oakland’s previous record of 89 set earlier this week.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
And upending the global supply chain has proven costly for businesses and households that are already strained by rising prices.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
Indiana beating the Miami Heat and Toronto upending Orlando means the Hornets remain in 10th place in the conference.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Economic and consumer confidence plummeted in Europe in March, according to official data released on Monday, in the latest evidence of how the Iran war is upending growth and inflation expectations.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
The defense secretary is upending decades-old norms, current and former leaders say, with some cautioning that his proselytizing violates the Constitution and undermines troop cohesion.
—Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2026
The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones from November 2023 until January 2025, upending shipping in this waterway in the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, key for the passage of goods through the region.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life.
—Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 27 Mar. 2026
Livermore and Oakland reached 91 degrees, upending Livermore’s previous record of 90 set last year and Oakland’s previous record of 89 set earlier this week.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
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Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines hoists the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the national championship of the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team is headed back to the national championship game for the third time in the last four years after defeating the Illinois Fighting Illini, 71-62, in the Final Four.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents have cleared public rainforest, creating informal plots and erecting makeshift homes.—
Gabriela Sá Pessoa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Plus, of course, naming the court for Pat Riley and erecting that statue for Dwyane Wade.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But at the end of the day, Pasricha said, normalizing people doing human things in our homes without judgment and overcoming this embarrassment are important.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
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And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport's greatest teams itself.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the easiest way to start an argument online is to post a video of a mother raising her child.—
Micah Barkley,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Political parties were disincentivized from forming coalitions—which might have unified the anti-Orbán vote—by incrementally raising the threshold required for alliances to enter Parliament.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The original series ran on Disney Channel from 2007 to 2012, following the Russo family as its three siblings navigated the challenges of adolescence while mastering their magical abilities.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Gators’ strongest player pound-for-pound, Baugh is also committed to mastering the details of the offense.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So far, he's picked up and dropped off about ten people, taking them to anything from doctor's appointments to haircuts.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Rhyne did not advocate for taking money from the state’s $625 million school voucher program to fund public schools.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Willacy, who received the death penalty for beating his neighbor with a hammer and setting her on fire in 1990 in Palm Bay, Florida, is scheduled to be executed on April 21.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, UConn earned a ticket to the final game after beating Illinois, 71-62, in hopes of earning its seventh championship title.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For generations, 911 operators have been the backbone of the American emergency response network, answering calls for help, and then dispatching and coordinating police and firefighters, SWAT teams, mental-health counselors and animal-control officers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2026
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The event was private, but the German tabloid Bild had staked it out, dispatching from Munich a long-lens photographer named Robert Gongoll.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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