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
Relevance
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
Forces — some visible, some harder to see — are upending literature and education itself.
—
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
Iran attacked a cargo ship traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, possibly upending President Donald Trump‘s diplomatic end to the war with Iran.
—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2026
The mayor's goal was to make things easier for the city's immigrant delivery workforce by upending a policy that had been put in pace by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Baseball has a way of upending logical assumptions.
—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
This structure grants public shareholders economic exposure but no power, upending traditional models designed to protect investors from executive self-interest.
—
Mary Johnstone-Louis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
In the first movie, Woody has to overcome his fear that Buzz will replace him (a sly metacommentary by a studio that was itself upending the animation industry).
—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Russia suspended jet fuel exports, further upending trade in a product already hugely affected by the Iran war.
—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Both movies were directed by YouTube stars and cost nearly nothing to produce, upending conventional wisdom about the necessary components for a hit.
—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
31 May 2026
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
Iran attacked a cargo ship traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, possibly upending President Donald Trump‘s diplomatic end to the war with Iran.
—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
25 June 2026
The mayor's goal was to make things easier for the city's immigrant delivery workforce by upending a policy that had been put in pace by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Baseball has a way of upending logical assumptions.
—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
This structure grants public shareholders economic exposure but no power, upending traditional models designed to protect investors from executive self-interest.
—
Mary Johnstone-Louis,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
In the first movie, Woody has to overcome his fear that Buzz will replace him (a sly metacommentary by a studio that was itself upending the animation industry).
—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2026
Russia suspended jet fuel exports, further upending trade in a product already hugely affected by the Iran war.
—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Both movies were directed by YouTube stars and cost nearly nothing to produce, upending conventional wisdom about the necessary components for a hit.
—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
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The first ever major league game to be played in Europe resulted in the Yankees defeating the Red Sox 17-13 in front of 60,000 spectators at London Olympic Stadium.
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The team displayed impressive form in the preliminary tournament qualifiers, winning all eight of its matches, scoring 37 goals, and defeating four-time World Cup champions Italy twice.
Verb
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Competition for American souls English advocates of colonization were aware that Catholics had been erecting churches in modern-day Mexico and Peru.
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Local government should be lowering barriers for entrepreneurs, not erecting more.
Verb
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Forward-looking firms are overcoming this by deploying advanced technical strategies.
-
Normal matter can’t be stuffed into a space tiny and dense enough without overcoming a huge outward pressure.
Verb
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The way the loss came about should be raising alarm bells inside the US camp.
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Forming partnerships with like-minded organizations is critical to raising brand awareness, accessing new markets and multiplying impact.
Verb
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For resistance training, that may mean starting with lighter weights and mastering technique before increasing load.
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Moving beyond self-expression, the goal for McKendrick has become mastering the art of turning private experiences into universal ones.
Verb
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Kotsay said Monday that Morris would be used out of the bullpen this time, taking Suarez’s spot.
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The dangerous heat is taking a toll across the Chicago area, especially for families without air conditioning.
Verb
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El Tri won its first knockout match at a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night at the majestic Azteca Stadium packed with 80,824 fans.
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In May, just weeks before the ruling, the athlete won the West Virginia Class AAA girls’ shot put state championship with a throw of 38 feet, 11¾ inches, beating the runner-up by just over two feet.
Verb
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After dispatching Zayn, a new challenger for his title has emerged.
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By storing excess renewable power and dispatching it when needed, the CO2 Battery is expected to help balance the grid while reducing the need for costly transmission upgrades.
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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