upend

verb

up·end ˌəp-ˈend

upended; upending; upends

Synonyms of upend next

transitive verb

: to set or stand on end

also : overturn sense 1

: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried

a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matrons—

Wolcott Gibbs

: defeat, beat

intransitive verb

: to rise on an end

Examples of upend in a Sentence

He upended the bicycle to fix its flat tire. I upended the bucket to use as a stool. The security inspector upended my bag and dumped everything out. A giant wave upended the surfers. The midfielder was upended before he got the ball.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Like Apple revolutionized personal technology and Virgin Atlantic redefined air travel, Plein has upended traditional notions of luxury. —

Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025 Chelsea has upended that conventional behavior since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the team in 2022 for $3.16 billion. —

Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025 However, numbers cannot articulate the magnitude of anguish as the disaster upends families and dismantles livelihoods. —

Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 By Laura McMullen, NerdWallet Natural disasters, whether massive wildfires, hurricanes or floods, can upend lives in an instant, but unwinding the financial damage can take many months. —

Nerdwallet, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for upend