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
Example Sentences
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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
-
Trump has not endorsed a candidate, raising the likelihood of a June 16 runoff that would burn more time and money before the party can focus on defeating Ossoff.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
Darby Allin defended his AEW World Championship twice in one week, defeating Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Senior Casey Brennan also knew something about overcoming adversity.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
-
Another angle is to consider using AI as a means of overcoming anger issues.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Owners who insist on doing it their way without mastering the existing system will often struggle.—
Seth Lederman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
These creators made that knowledge far more accessible, producing educational content on everything from building a washday routine and transitioning from relaxers to mastering styles like twist-outs.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The sponsors of House Bill 1430 boldly admit that our transportation taxes have been hijacked to pay for education and health care, and that taking those funds out of the legislature’s cookie jar will create shortfalls.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
-
Around 25 million lightning strikes occur in the United States every year, with most taking place during the summer months.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Denise attacked Djena again, beating her until Mohamed and their eldest son, Ahmed, pulled her off.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
After the shooting, federal authorities accused Sosa-Celis and Aljorna of beating an ICE officer with a broomstick or a snow shovel during the incident, but those charges were later dropped after an investigation into whether the agents lied about the incident.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The conglomerate finalized its acquisition of Dragontails in September 2021, touting the platform’s ability to optimize kitchen flow and driver dispatching by assisting workers with the timing and sequencing of orders, as well as planning optimal delivery routes.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
But the Knights were big dogs back then, and should have had an easy time dispatching the upstart Canadiens.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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