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
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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
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Recent Examples of upsets
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 June 2026
The fruit upsets their digestive systems.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2026
Recognizing the month or opting out sends a message that upsets somebody regardless of the choice.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Saint Mary’s, which made the field by winning the WCC tournament, is not new to NCAA Tournament upsets.
—Mitch Light, New York Times, 29 May 2026
But if Mark Stone, the Knights’ version of Gabe Landeskog, remains sidelined, there is no chance Las Vegas upsets the Avs.
—Beth Rankin, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
This is a precarious tightrope to walk, with bond investors primed to sell if there’s a hint the biggest player in the market upsets the apple cart.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 May 2026
On the women’s side, where blowouts are many and upsets rare, some of those first-round games figure to be can’t-watch TV.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
That said, by design, travel often upsets our routine.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Some great players didn’t make it to Paris because of injuries; other top seeds lost in early-round upsets; still others lost in later-round upsets.
—Corey Seymour, Vogue, 7 June 2026
Following some thrilling contests and shock upsets, the 2026 French Open has entered its final stages.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 June 2026
Underdog games are where upsets typically happen and where tickets stay within fan reach.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
This year's French Open has brought a number of shocking moments — including top seeds Djokovic, 39, and Jannik Sinner of Italy losing out in major upsets.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
And playoff upsets are undeniably fun … for everyone but the losing team.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Leach was known for his innovative wide-open offenses and his knack for pulling upsets.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
So the major upsets may be fewer, but that figures to be less because of expansion itself than the consequences of the other market forces.
—Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Verb
What upsets Harry and Meghan about it?
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 9 June 2026
The fruit upsets their digestive systems.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2026
Recognizing the month or opting out sends a message that upsets somebody regardless of the choice.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026
Saint Mary’s, which made the field by winning the WCC tournament, is not new to NCAA Tournament upsets.
—Mitch Light, New York Times, 29 May 2026
But if Mark Stone, the Knights’ version of Gabe Landeskog, remains sidelined, there is no chance Las Vegas upsets the Avs.
—Beth Rankin, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
This is a precarious tightrope to walk, with bond investors primed to sell if there’s a hint the biggest player in the market upsets the apple cart.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 17 May 2026
On the women’s side, where blowouts are many and upsets rare, some of those first-round games figure to be can’t-watch TV.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
That said, by design, travel often upsets our routine.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
JSerra navigated a difficult regular-season schedule, then avoided upsets in the playoffs.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Some great players didn’t make it to Paris because of injuries; other top seeds lost in early-round upsets; still others lost in later-round upsets.
—Corey Seymour, Vogue, 7 June 2026
Following some thrilling contests and shock upsets, the 2026 French Open has entered its final stages.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 June 2026
Underdog games are where upsets typically happen and where tickets stay within fan reach.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
This year's French Open has brought a number of shocking moments — including top seeds Djokovic, 39, and Jannik Sinner of Italy losing out in major upsets.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
And playoff upsets are undeniably fun … for everyone but the losing team.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Leach was known for his innovative wide-open offenses and his knack for pulling upsets.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
So the major upsets may be fewer, but that figures to be less because of expansion itself than the consequences of the other market forces.
—Kansas City Star, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsets
Verb
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
That brings us to the part of the ShotSpotter discussion that perhaps disturbs us most.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Democrats asked whether that includes federal court orders, and Mullin responded that depends on whether a higher court overturns a ruling.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Supreme Court overturns convictions The unraveling began publicly in October 2023 when Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial accusing Hill of jury tampering.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Cypermethrin disrupts thyroid hormones, which are critical to brain development.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Eating quickly disrupts this process, leaving more carbohydrates to be broken down in the stomach and gut, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Police asked the public to avoid the area as there were expected to be traffic delays, road closures, and mass transit disruptions.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
Visibility on commercial shipping through the waterway is limited by ongoing GPS jamming and tracking disruptions.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
What bothers me still is the Maloofs or (current ownership) never honored Rick with a special night.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
Shields added at the time that she's learned to speak up when something bothers her rather than assuming her spouse can read her mind.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Based on a tragic true-life incident, director Joe Carnahan's survival thriller stars Zachary Levi as one of four friends who head out on a fishing expedition and their boat capsizes in a nasty storm.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
There is a version of leadership that confuses visibility with impact, equating big initiatives and dramatic turnarounds with strong leadership.—
Monica Cutia,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The whole concept of toxic fandom confuses me because, outside of the anger and backwards thinking, because who cares about a movie franchise that much?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Sunday currently appears to be the wetter day of the weekend, with storm coverage increasing area-wide as additional disturbances move into the region.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Lee’s Summit Downtown Days In Lee’s Summit, police spent nearly two hours breaking up a series of incidents and disturbances involving teenagers at the city’s Downtown Days festival Saturday night.—
Ben Wheeler
June 9,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upsets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsets. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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