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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of upending
Originally greeted with bemusement, Pratt is now upending the race with early voting underway ahead of the June 2 election.
—
Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 13 May 2026
By upending decades-old international trade norms and security alliances – not to mention launching a war with Iran that seems to have benefited almost no one – Trump is seen by many to have helped China score not only strategically but even morally.
—Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
These are the first federal funds directed to the landslide area since the city declared a local emergency in October 2023, when land movement began reaching unprecedented levels, tearing up roads, splitting homes and upending utilities.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The three challenges are each political newcomers and face long odds at the ballot box to upending Risch, a Boise resident who is a household name in Idaho and a former governor, lieutenant governor and state senator.
—Kevin Fixler
may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026
Spirit Airlines, the scrappy discounter that once rattled the industry with cheeky ads and rock-bottom fares, took its final flight after 34 years of upending the business of flying.
—Bernard Condon, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Those plans were derailed after the war triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit's cost projections and complicating its exit from bankruptcy.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Kenya eyes $600M in World Bank emergency funds Kenya is eyeing around $600 million in emergency funds from the World Bank in a bid to soften the impact of the Iran war, which is upending economies across the continent.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Citizen journalism was heralded as an opportunity for nonprofessionals to participate in the creation and selection of news content, upending journalists’ roles as gatekeepers.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 13 May 2026
By upending decades-old international trade norms and security alliances – not to mention launching a war with Iran that seems to have benefited almost no one – Trump is seen by many to have helped China score not only strategically but even morally.
—Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
These are the first federal funds directed to the landslide area since the city declared a local emergency in October 2023, when land movement began reaching unprecedented levels, tearing up roads, splitting homes and upending utilities.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The three challenges are each political newcomers and face long odds at the ballot box to upending Risch, a Boise resident who is a household name in Idaho and a former governor, lieutenant governor and state senator.
—Kevin Fixler
may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026
Spirit Airlines, the scrappy discounter that once rattled the industry with cheeky ads and rock-bottom fares, took its final flight after 34 years of upending the business of flying.
—Bernard Condon, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
Those plans were derailed after the war triggered a spike in jet fuel prices, upending Spirit's cost projections and complicating its exit from bankruptcy.
—David Shepardson, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Kenya eyes $600M in World Bank emergency funds Kenya is eyeing around $600 million in emergency funds from the World Bank in a bid to soften the impact of the Iran war, which is upending economies across the continent.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Citizen journalism was heralded as an opportunity for nonprofessionals to participate in the creation and selection of news content, upending journalists’ roles as gatekeepers.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
-
La Catalina had her first match in AAA, defeating Jessy Jackson.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
In the process of winning 14 straight division championships from 1991-2005, Cox appeared in four other World Series, losing to Gillick’s Blue Jays in 1992 and the Yankees in 1996 and ’99 but defeating the Indians in 1995.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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That might leave Florida taxpayers still picking up the tab for the millions of dollars the state spent in quickly erecting the site in the middle of the Everglades.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
-
Another had a mossy headpiece with wire erecting green and platinum hair balls.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The Louisiana native told me that overcoming his native cuisine was half the battle in that redshirt year.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The biggest obstacle was overcoming low expectations.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
Israel’s national security minister inflamed the situation with a provocative visit to the contested Al Aqsa Mosque compound, raising concerns about Jerusalem’s status in the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Most people spend year one with their heads down, mastering the job.—
Andy Molinsky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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While others were mastering the blues, Jimi Hendrix was rewiring rock.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Washington said the airport’s 36-mile-long fence meets Federal Aviation Administration requirements and noted that there are multiple layers of security to prevent a breach from taking place.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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More Americans are hitting the road, boarding flights and taking cruises this Memorial Day, according to AAA.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
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This is as good as any New York team has looked in a long time, maybe since the Giants got on that roll on their way to beating the 18-0 Patriots in Glendale, Ariz.—
Mike Lupica,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
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The surge in energy prices helped Saudi Aramco to report a 26% year-on-year jump in first-quarter profit on Sunday, beating analysts’ forecasts.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The New York Knicks haven’t slowed down since dispatching the Toronto Raptors in a tough seven-game first-round series.—
Juan Carlos Blanco,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Anaheim finished it off with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 on Thursday night, calmly dispatching its more experienced opponents with the poise and potency that this team has shown for long stretches this season.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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