1
as in disturbs
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the smallest things can upset us if we're already stressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overturns
to turn on one's side or upside down
the narrow boat upsets easily and should be handled with care
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
the change in the bus schedule upset our daily routine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in disruptions
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed
the move to a new town is just the latest in a series of upsets for my family over the last year
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 upsets
Sara Hoffman, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2026
This upsets her husband, Paul, who has returned with his and Roxie’s two young sons.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
If Finland upsets Canada, three other Panthers — Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola — would play for the gold.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
Lowell Bailey upsets the pre-race favorites in the men’s individual competition to become the first American biathlete to win gold at the world championships.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Hayley’s very upset by it, and that upsets Mickey, and that’s probably one of the biggest driving motivations for him, not just to save his own life, but to save his daughter and his family from the ramifications of this.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Or, imagine that Uruguay upsets Spain in Group H.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Prevent upsets to your meal (and upsets to your hungry guests) by making every spice, seasoning, and ingredient easy to find.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
The mandate by India also upsets the unwritten détente between the makers of smartphone operating systems and law enforcement agencies around the world.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025
CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Most of the surveys circulated by Texas campaigns, universities and advocacy groups in the days and weeks leading up to the primary pointed to tight races or looming upsets in the major races, but several proved off the mark once ballots were counted.
—Karen Brooks Harper
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Though the tournament is famed for its unpredictability and upsets, favorites ruled last year as the top seeds in all four regions advanced to the men’s Final Four.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
The women's tournament has historically had fewer upsets than the men's tournament.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 15 Mar. 2026
An historic place for upsets to begin with, the 5-line includes a pair of legit head scratchers.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Mar. 2026
And two of them went down in first-round upsets (Virginia in 2021 and Colorado State in 2022; Mississippi won last year).
—Peter Keating, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
But retiring head coach Bob Banning straightened out Silver Creek, which won 13 of its last 14 games, including upsets over Eagle Valley in the Sweet 16 and Mesa Ridge in the Great 8.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
The defeat of the Pistons is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in pro basketball history.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
If iron upsets your stomach, take it with a small snack.
—Sara Hoffman, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2026
This upsets her husband, Paul, who has returned with his and Roxie’s two young sons.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
If Finland upsets Canada, three other Panthers — Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola — would play for the gold.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
Lowell Bailey upsets the pre-race favorites in the men’s individual competition to become the first American biathlete to win gold at the world championships.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026
Hayley’s very upset by it, and that upsets Mickey, and that’s probably one of the biggest driving motivations for him, not just to save his own life, but to save his daughter and his family from the ramifications of this.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
Or, imagine that Uruguay upsets Spain in Group H.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Prevent upsets to your meal (and upsets to your hungry guests) by making every spice, seasoning, and ingredient easy to find.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
The mandate by India also upsets the unwritten détente between the makers of smartphone operating systems and law enforcement agencies around the world.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025
Noun
Every year brings surprising upsets, meaning a little luck can go a long way, and even casual fans can stay in contention all the way to the championship game on April 6.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Most of the surveys circulated by Texas campaigns, universities and advocacy groups in the days and weeks leading up to the primary pointed to tight races or looming upsets in the major races, but several proved off the mark once ballots were counted.
—Karen Brooks Harper
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Though the tournament is famed for its unpredictability and upsets, favorites ruled last year as the top seeds in all four regions advanced to the men’s Final Four.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
The women's tournament has historically had fewer upsets than the men's tournament.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 15 Mar. 2026
An historic place for upsets to begin with, the 5-line includes a pair of legit head scratchers.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Mar. 2026
And two of them went down in first-round upsets (Virginia in 2021 and Colorado State in 2022; Mississippi won last year).
—Peter Keating, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
But retiring head coach Bob Banning straightened out Silver Creek, which won 13 of its last 14 games, including upsets over Eagle Valley in the Sweet 16 and Mesa Ridge in the Great 8.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Mar. 2026
The defeat of the Pistons is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in pro basketball history.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsets
Verb
-
Removing nodules from the ocean floor disturbs the silty seabed that's home to many organisms, like worms and small crustaceans, the scientists found.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Dethatching disturbs the soil surface, which can trigger dormant weed seeds to sprout.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
She is now prohibited from providing services anywhere in Texas unless a court overturns the order.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
-
If a team successfully overturns a call, the challenge is retained.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At that point, the parasite disrupts brain regions that regulate circadian rhythm, causing patients to become sleepy during the day and awake at night.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Snow disrupts flights at Chicago airports The snow impacted the schedules at O'Hare and Midway international airports on Monday morning.—
Albert Ramon,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The incident occurred just before midnight on Sunday, prompting authorities to suspend all incoming and outgoing flights and warn travelers of widespread disruptions.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
-
However, in the days leading up to her flight, a cascade of headlines – from geopolitical tensions to airport disruptions – began to chip away at her confidence in traveling at all.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The political rhetoric aimed at ridiculing Canada bothers Johnson.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
-
What really bothers me is when companies pay a lot of money for mediocrity, and that happens all too often.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The group gets stranded at sea off the coast of Florida when their boat capsizes, leading Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close (Duhamel) to oversee the efforts to bring them home as a storm looms.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
-
When a violent storm nearly capsizes them, the family awakes in a desert land.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
-
An actress in 1962 Cuban, as its missiles crisis rages, confuses her role in a film and real life.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Several businesses at the shopping center closed early because of the disturbances, police said.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
As the company seeks to double the annual number of launches from Vandenburg Space Force Base -- from around 50 to 100 — the California Coastal Commission has raised concerns about the effects on wildlife, and residents have noted disturbances from sonic booms.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upsets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsets. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
