upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend 

upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1

: to set or stand on end

also : overturn sense 1

2

a

: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried

a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matrons

—Wolcott Gibbs

b

: defeat, beat

intransitive verb

: to rise on an end

Synonyms

• beat
• best
• conquer
• defeat
• dispatch
• do down [British]
• get
• get around
• lick
• master
• overbear
• overcome
• overmatch
• prevail (over)
• skunk
• stop
• subdue
• surmount
• take
• trim
• triumph (over)
• win (against)
• worst

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

By Hana Kiros Since September 29, when the smell of chlorine first began to waft over metro Atlanta, Georgia residents’ lives have been upended by an enormous chemical fire. —Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2024

But officials worry that could be upended by the presidential election on Tuesday. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 1 Nov. 2024

This annual tradition is not just about culling these toxic, non-native amphibians, but also about reclaiming a natural balance that was once upended by one of the greatest ecological missteps in the nation's history. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

But as always, supervillains arrive to upend that happiness. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

upend

verb

up·​end ˌə-ˈpend 

: to set, stand, or rise on end