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
While some travelers choose to fly on Thanksgiving Day for lower prices and crowds, most leave at least a day early to avoid the risk of cancellations or delays upending their holiday plans.
—
Eve Chen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Rising tensions in the chamber also risk upending much of Kehoe’s agenda over the next several years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
But the gerrymandering fight for control of Congress is upending not only those races but downballot contests, too.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
For instance, the young woman interred in burial 211 described above is one of several women and children buried with stone axes at the site, upending the notion that axes only belonged to Stone Age men.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The climate crisis and consolidation of seed production under a few large corporations compounds the problem, upending farmers’ ability to grow food.
—Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
The southern Niger Delta region — the main production hub in Africa’s top crude oil exporter — has been hit by spills in recent decades, upending livelihoods that depend on farming and fishing.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Those low-fare carriers had another problem when wages went up in the wake of the pandemic, upending their low-cost model.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Climate change’s impact on rainfall and temperature is also upending estimates of how much electricity hydropower dams across the region can produce.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Aug. 2025
Eve Chen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Rising tensions in the chamber also risk upending much of Kehoe’s agenda over the next several years.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
But the gerrymandering fight for control of Congress is upending not only those races but downballot contests, too.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
For instance, the young woman interred in burial 211 described above is one of several women and children buried with stone axes at the site, upending the notion that axes only belonged to Stone Age men.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
The climate crisis and consolidation of seed production under a few large corporations compounds the problem, upending farmers’ ability to grow food.
—Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
The southern Niger Delta region — the main production hub in Africa’s top crude oil exporter — has been hit by spills in recent decades, upending livelihoods that depend on farming and fishing.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Those low-fare carriers had another problem when wages went up in the wake of the pandemic, upending their low-cost model.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Climate change’s impact on rainfall and temperature is also upending estimates of how much electricity hydropower dams across the region can produce.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
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The Chargers got off to a hot start to the season in year two under Jim Harbaugh by defeating the Chiefs 27-21 in the NFL season opener.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Jovic lifted the trophy by defeating Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-1 in Sunday’s final of the WTA 500 tournament in Zapopan, Mexico.—
Manasi Pathak,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Environmental groups and the Miccosukee tribe had sued the state and federal government for sidestepping federal environmental regulations when erecting the site in an airstrip in Big Cypress National Preserve.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Trained by his enslaver in bricklaying and carpentry, Moses became foreman of a building crew, erecting barns, homes, and warehouses across the South.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Among them were countless era-defining releases that are still among the best movies ever made—of any genre—from the haunting Rebecca to the gripping Rear Window, and the ravishing Vertigo to the hair-raising Psycho.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2025
-
There were times when raising kids, building careers, and paying bills felt overwhelming.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
True freedom isn't a future milestone; it's built from day one by designing for mobility, choosing clients who respect boundaries, building self-sufficient systems, mastering asynchronous communication, and pricing for a location-independent lifestyle.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Moving forward, mastering a personal podcast could replace soft-focus biographies or wonky books as a way for politicians to increase their profiles.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine recently sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier this year.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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But if anyone is taking bets on who will shape the future of fashion publishing, Enninful is surely in the running.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yes, that’s Lane Kiffin adapting by becoming a basketball goal (while also adapting by beating Arkansas 41-35 with Division II Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss stepping in for Austin Simmons at QB).—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Both sides have also carried out arbitrary detentions, with SAF interrogating and beating dozens of Christians in 2024 and 2025.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Lee said the ministry is dispatching diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in Atlanta to the site, and planning to form an on-site response team.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The plan is to pass the bill produced by that negotiation first through the House and then send it to the Senate before dispatching it to Trump for his signature.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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