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
The move put the confirmation process in limbo, upending what appeared to be a glidepath to confirmation for Clayton hours earlier.
—
Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 17 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
This show works to understand how those two minds—both devoted to upending the art market by making work that’s not easily categorizable—entertain certain themes simultaneously.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
An early morning Penn Station fire injured multiple people and snarled morning service between Newark and New York, upending commuter travel.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Scenes in the rounded Tomorrowland theater will be updated, upending folky stories set in the early 1900s, the 1920s and the 1940s.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Meanwhile, Airbnb, another early breakout hit from Y Combinator, has a market cap of close to $80 billion, and CEO Brian Chesky is credited with upending the hospitality industry.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 17 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
This show works to understand how those two minds—both devoted to upending the art market by making work that’s not easily categorizable—entertain certain themes simultaneously.
—Zoë Hopkins, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
An early morning Penn Station fire injured multiple people and snarled morning service between Newark and New York, upending commuter travel.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Scenes in the rounded Tomorrowland theater will be updated, upending folky stories set in the early 1900s, the 1920s and the 1940s.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Meanwhile, Airbnb, another early breakout hit from Y Combinator, has a market cap of close to $80 billion, and CEO Brian Chesky is credited with upending the hospitality industry.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
-
Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines hoists the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
-
Leviatán has been crowned Valorant Masters London champions, defeating Paper Rex 3-2 in a dramatic grand final.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
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More energy devoted to passing laws to protect consumers from predatory businesses and to erecting guardrails to prevent artificial intelligence companies from collecting and selling our data for private gain.—
Matt Martin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
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Workers spent Friday evening erecting scaffolding in front of the building as crowds gathered below to watch.—
Philip Wang,
Time,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Biden, who has spoken at length about overcoming drug addiction, claims to be at least $15 million in debt.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
-
Many training programs for travel consultants (or really for anybody who works in sales) include tactics on overcoming objections.—
Scott Laird,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The miscommunications have once again put the majority leader in a difficult position, raising questions about why the president seems intent on making his life more difficult.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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Gordon said in kicking off his comments and raising a hand to reveal a rubber finger pad.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
There are a few outfit formulas worth mastering.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Glamour,
17 June 2026
-
Grilling burgers is a rite of passage—mastering the art of cooking burgers to the right doneness can mark a new level of cooking confidence.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
On Monday, 60 Tao people from Taiwan’s Orchid Island set off on a 111-mile voyage, taking turns to paddle against strong currents to reach the Ivatan people on Batan Island, located in the far north of the Philippines, replicating a journey first thought to have been made more than 4,000 years ago.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Hughton supported Addo at the previous World Cup in 2022 before taking charge of the team for the AFCON in Ivory Coast in early 2024.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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And while the titular ambulance chaser naturally holds court for six seasons (beating Breaking Bad by one), equally excellent turns by Jonathan Banks and Rhea Seehorn ensure this multi-award-winning series works as both the perfect prequel and a bingeable standalone drama.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
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White won by a 2-point margin, beating Shaikh by just under 400 votes.—
Sophia Eppley,
AJC.com,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
After dispatching Montreal in five games to make the final, the Hurricanes then faced perennial power Vegas and took care of business there, too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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