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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of upending
Bloomberg reports that software companies including McAfee, Rocket Software, and Perforce Software have disclosed their earnings ahead of schedule to quell fears that AI may be upending the business model for these legacy software providers.
—
John Kell, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
The disruption is threatening the profitability of entire product lines and upending long-term plans.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing cafe visits, switching to cheaper brews or forgoing it altogether.
—Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing café visits, switching to cheaper brews or foregoing it altogether.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
These systems are expanding the reach and capabilities of vessels at sea at lightning speed, upending existing definitions of aircraft carriers and making the ocean a vital testing ground for new technology.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Season 14 also got its first wildcard contestant, with Crane entering the competition and promptly upending things.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Jan. 2026
And his declining poll numbers also increase the chances that Democrats take the House by a significant enough margin that Trump would have no real means of upending the election results through claims of fraud.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Ryman’s narrative lands upon lives crossed in some way with Baum’s book, and cares less about upending fantasy than treating it seriously, as a shade of reality most Americans cannot live without—a necessity that, if devastating, often proves less so than the alternative.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
John Kell, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
The disruption is threatening the profitability of entire product lines and upending long-term plans.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing cafe visits, switching to cheaper brews or forgoing it altogether.
—Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing café visits, switching to cheaper brews or foregoing it altogether.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
These systems are expanding the reach and capabilities of vessels at sea at lightning speed, upending existing definitions of aircraft carriers and making the ocean a vital testing ground for new technology.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Season 14 also got its first wildcard contestant, with Crane entering the competition and promptly upending things.
—Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Jan. 2026
And his declining poll numbers also increase the chances that Democrats take the House by a significant enough margin that Trump would have no real means of upending the election results through claims of fraud.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
Ryman’s narrative lands upon lives crossed in some way with Baum’s book, and cares less about upending fantasy than treating it seriously, as a shade of reality most Americans cannot live without—a necessity that, if devastating, often proves less so than the alternative.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
-
Koda Holeman opened the match by defeating Jeremiah Reno by technical fall 17-2.—
Michael Harley,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The Senate approved its version (SB 7040) by a largely partisan vote of 29-10, after defeating a Democratic amendment to restrict the spending to genuine disasters.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some lawmakers view Trump’s order skeptically at best, noting the administration has been removing guardrails, and preventing others from erecting them, to an extreme degree.—
Darius Tahir,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The state approved a nearly $16 million funding for renovations, which included building temporary housing for staff, erecting recreation fencing to ensure that ICE detainees are separated from state prisoners, buying equipment and desks for ICE offices, and purchasing vans and buses.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For me, Gregg’s incredible voice resonates not just in his music but in his humanity, in overcoming the murder of his father, the early death of his brother Duane, and his personal demons.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The first step to overcoming a fear of abandonment can look like opening up to your partner about your concerns.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But what was really baffling was Cronin’s claim that the questioner was raising his voice.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
That reality means balancing work, wellness and raising her young son, which has become the foundation for her latest collaboration with Fabletics.—
Casey DelBasso,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Participating from the original sessions were Earle Mankey, the first engineer at Brother Studio in the 1970s; John Hanlon, the second engineer for those same recordings; and mastering engineer Jeff Peters, who first put the mixes to vinyl.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Liu skated on, mastering her jumps and repeating as national champion in 2020, though age restrictions prevented her from entering international competitions.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Also on Tuesday, Indivisible CT is conducting an anti-ICE rally on the state Capitol lawn, taking political aim at a federal agency that has fallen sharply out of public favor after killing two American citizens in Minnesota and roughing up scores of others.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The European Union’s first offshore carbon storage facility, taking emissions from Denmark and injecting them into the seabed below the North Sea, is due to start operating by mid-2026.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ukrzaliznytsia is responding to the intensity and growing accuracy of Russian attacks by trying to protect critical points on the system and by dispatching rapid recovery teams.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In the playoffs, with QB Drake Maye struggling, the Patriots leaned on their defense, dispatching the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans in the first two rounds.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
