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
The last time Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed a film, Netflix, Amazon and Apple weren’t making movies, COVID hadn’t changed theatergoing habits and the existential threat of AI wasn’t upending the industry.
—
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The question of who should replace him in the racially and economically diverse district — spanning downtown, swaths of the West and South sides and the west suburbs — has drawn national interest, with super PAC dollars upending the fundraising ground game.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The war, which disrupted shipping via the world's most vital oil export route, has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel, pushing airline tickets on some routes sky-high, and sparking fears of a deep travel slump that could lead to widespread grounding of planes.
—Shivangi Lahiri, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The Caribbean nation has experienced severe fuel shortages, upending daily life on the island, after the US blockaded Venezuelan oil shipments.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The allegations have forced out longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor, upending the athletic department.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The pace of this campaign is unprecedented, upending most norms of warfare and its old timelines.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
The court ruled that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, upending a temporary restraining order put in place by a Tazewell County judge last month.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Mar. 2026
Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor, noted Crockett announced her Senate bid on filing day, upending the Democratic landscape.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
The question of who should replace him in the racially and economically diverse district — spanning downtown, swaths of the West and South sides and the west suburbs — has drawn national interest, with super PAC dollars upending the fundraising ground game.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The war, which disrupted shipping via the world's most vital oil export route, has sent oil prices surging, upending global travel, pushing airline tickets on some routes sky-high, and sparking fears of a deep travel slump that could lead to widespread grounding of planes.
—Shivangi Lahiri, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The Caribbean nation has experienced severe fuel shortages, upending daily life on the island, after the US blockaded Venezuelan oil shipments.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The allegations have forced out longtime basketball coach Rod Barnes and athletic director Kyle Condor, upending the athletic department.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The pace of this campaign is unprecedented, upending most norms of warfare and its old timelines.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
The court ruled that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, upending a temporary restraining order put in place by a Tazewell County judge last month.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Mar. 2026
Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political science professor, noted Crockett announced her Senate bid on filing day, upending the Democratic landscape.
—Joseph Morton, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
-
The Fairfield University women’s basketball team will head back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year, after defeating Quinnipiac 51-44 Monday night in the MAAC championship game and getting the conference’s automatic berth in Atlantic City.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Bobcats showed flickers of promise, nearly defeating Troy and Georgia Southern in the regular season.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At the same time, Anthropic and Amodei may now have a bully pulpit to push their agenda for erecting sturdier guardrails around how AI operates.—
Michael Liedtke,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
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,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Whether a brave, thrilling but ultimately unsuccessful attempt at overcoming a seemingly impossible target of 254 to beat India and reach the T20 World Cup final will be enough to make up for England’s desperately disappointing winter.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
His big struggle was overcoming the same challenge most pitchers face after a long layoff.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine Resource Group are also constructing lithium sulfate plants tied to their Zimbabwean mines, raising questions about whether the country is building an independent refining sector or simply deepening its role inside China’s battery ecosystem.—
Ray Mwayera,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Unlike chatbots that simply respond to prompts, AI agents can take proactive actions, which often require broader access to data and systems, raising privacy and security concerns.—
Evelyn Cheng,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hepburn was known for her distinct voice and cadence, which is something Collins will have to focus on mastering.—
Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
They are credited with mastering the art of wood-grilling.—
Gail Ciampa,
The Providence Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the then-new audio streaming services, like Spotify, were taking hits from creators for paying low royalty rates.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Duncanville picked up the pace in the third quarter, taking a 38-34-lead into the fourth.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Alajuelense returned the favor, beating LAFC 2-1 at BMO Stadium a week later, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the Black & Gold from continuing on the road to finishing runners-up to León.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) celebrates after beating Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom (40) for the game-winning goal during overtime in an NHL hockey game at the American Airlines Center on Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Health insurance costs and dispatching fees keep increasing.—
Igor Studenkov,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Staff member Brandon Richards, who made $136,000 last year, is tasked with quickly dispatching responses to information the governor’s team deems inaccurate or misleading that is spread on social media and in the media.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
