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
The series later won five Emmys, upending presumptions about the kinds of shows people still really want to watch.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The loving chaos wrought by Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s parents in their family home further adds to the subversion of the film, upending expectations of film parents whose son is going through a life-changing event.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The big story Last month, Indian airports descended into chaos as hundreds of flights were cancelled by the country’s largest airline, Indigo, upending travel plans for thousands of passengers.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Both Tong and his counterpart in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha, followed up with their own request on Monday which reiterated the developers’ claim that federal intervention risks raising costs for electric customers while upending thousands of local jobs.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
White mulberry roots have been known to shoot out through yards, cracking pavement and upending landscaping along the way.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
The President’s second term began with a push to transform America’s role in the world by unilaterally upending the existing global trade and security order, halting foreign aid, and ending Washington’s promotion of democracy abroad.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
But upending the global supply chain has proven costly for households facing rising prices.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
Other cuts construct a dense digital lattice before upending their trajectory with more organic elements.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The loving chaos wrought by Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s parents in their family home further adds to the subversion of the film, upending expectations of film parents whose son is going through a life-changing event.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 8 Jan. 2026
The big story Last month, Indian airports descended into chaos as hundreds of flights were cancelled by the country’s largest airline, Indigo, upending travel plans for thousands of passengers.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
Both Tong and his counterpart in Rhode Island, Attorney General Peter Neronha, followed up with their own request on Monday which reiterated the developers’ claim that federal intervention risks raising costs for electric customers while upending thousands of local jobs.
—John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026
White mulberry roots have been known to shoot out through yards, cracking pavement and upending landscaping along the way.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
The President’s second term began with a push to transform America’s role in the world by unilaterally upending the existing global trade and security order, halting foreign aid, and ending Washington’s promotion of democracy abroad.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
But upending the global supply chain has proven costly for households facing rising prices.
—Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
Other cuts construct a dense digital lattice before upending their trajectory with more organic elements.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
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This came on the heels of another fleeting feel-good moment for the Rangers (20-18-6), who opened the new year by defeating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers in Friday’s Winter Classic.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Zinke faced close races during his second House tenure however, winning his seat in the 2022 midterms by around three points before defeating the same opponent during the 2024 presidential election by more than seven points.—
Hunter Woodall,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a completely different approach, Meta has started erecting tent-like structures to house servers to get their data centers online faster.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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In a flurry of recent activity, the city has been installing payment kiosks, erecting informational signs, compiling the license plate numbers of park volunteers and establishing a website for frequent-user permits and city-resident discounts.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team overcoming those injuries defined the season.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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The search company has been on the rise after putting together the pieces for its AI comeback and overcoming key regulatory hurdles last year.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As chants echoed across the parking lot, cars driving past honked repeatedly, some drivers raising fists or waving through open windows.—
Reginald David,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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Beijing last year implemented some export controls on rare earths during trade spats, raising concerns about America’s lack of secure supply chains for these critical materials.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Advocacy isn’t about mastering policy jargon or tracking every bill.—
Mary D. Kane,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
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But there can also be peace in mastering it.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But in 1999, just months after Luke was born, Andrea attempted suicide by taking an overdose of medication prescribed for her father, who was ill.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
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Someone had ordered pizza to the home, and a delivery driver spent some time ringing the doorbell before returning to his car, taking the pies with him.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Broomfield city councilman Kenny Nguyen was appointed to serve House District 33 on Monday night, narrowly beating fellow councilwoman Heidi Henkel in a 16-15 vote.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Bruins won for the fifth time in six games despite going 0 for 6 on the power play a day after beating the Rangers 10-2.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Providence Fire Department officials quickly declared a mass casualty incident, according to records, with the department dispatching rescue task forces and requesting ballistic protection for medics who were ordered to standby until police could secure each scene.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
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As reported by local outlet Cleveland19, and per the police statement, police stated that officers responded immediately, dispatching all available patrol units and detectives due to the seriousness of the report and potential public danger.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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