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
Relevance
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
And a chance encounter with ICE in August landed Barojas Solano in detention for six weeks, upending his legal process and leaving them terrified that he could be detained again.
—
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Within the next decade, the enchanting imagism of silent film would be supplanted by the talkie’s emphasis on dialogue and narrative realism, upending the format and studios that had made Keaton a star of the Old Hollywood system.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Immigration judges in Aurora and elsewhere have been instructed to expedite removal cases and to stop allowing bail for immigrants who’ve long lived in the country’s interior — keeping them detained and upending more than 25 years of practice.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
OpenA is one of several companies that has set its sights on the web browser—one of the oldest and most staid internet products—in the hopes of upending the status quo and potentially rekindling the famed browser wars of the early internet era.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Climate change is upending the global insurance industry by driving more extreme events.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Chicago teachers said federal immigration agents are disrupting their jobs, upending their communities and traumatizing their students.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
The entire staff of the CDC's Washington office was eliminated in the recent cuts, upending a longstanding support system for Congressional representatives.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Malkin now has five points in two games, Crosby scored his first goal of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins received the game-winner from Justin Brazeau while upending the New York Islanders 4-3 in the home opener at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Within the next decade, the enchanting imagism of silent film would be supplanted by the talkie’s emphasis on dialogue and narrative realism, upending the format and studios that had made Keaton a star of the Old Hollywood system.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Immigration judges in Aurora and elsewhere have been instructed to expedite removal cases and to stop allowing bail for immigrants who’ve long lived in the country’s interior — keeping them detained and upending more than 25 years of practice.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025
OpenA is one of several companies that has set its sights on the web browser—one of the oldest and most staid internet products—in the hopes of upending the status quo and potentially rekindling the famed browser wars of the early internet era.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Climate change is upending the global insurance industry by driving more extreme events.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
Chicago teachers said federal immigration agents are disrupting their jobs, upending their communities and traumatizing their students.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2025
The entire staff of the CDC's Washington office was eliminated in the recent cuts, upending a longstanding support system for Congressional representatives.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Malkin now has five points in two games, Crosby scored his first goal of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins received the game-winner from Justin Brazeau while upending the New York Islanders 4-3 in the home opener at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upending
Verb
-
Behind Wemby's strong contributions, the Spurs also won their first three games, defeating the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But then, in the second group phase — consisting of four groups of three, in the first 24-team World Cup — Italy exploded into life despite a very tough draw, defeating holders Argentina and favourites Brazil.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
China, for political reasons, is fast erecting barriers.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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And, in a break with the past, the VDMA is now expressing support for erecting countervailing tariffs when foreign products are found to be made with the support of government subsidies.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Penix and London, along with Bijan Robinson, have been heavily involved in Atlanta's offense this season, so regardless of who the opponent is missing, overcoming the loss of your starting quarterback and leading pass catcher will be a tough task.—
Cameron Belcher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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But there's also a lot of stories of people overcoming a lot of obstacles, and that's synonymous with what Kayla has done.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, the project adds another exclusive tier to a venue already marked by VIP enclaves, raising questions about how much of COTA’s most distinctive real estate will remain truly accessible — and for how long.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The key to raising emotionally resilient kids is the ability to repair.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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From canning tomatoes to mastering yeast rises, these culinary arts combine utility with pleasure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Waiting almost guarantees you’ll be left behind by competitors who are already mastering a technology that will create order-of-magnitude shifts in business models.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
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Despite a remarkable performance against the New York Rangers last week, Stolarz appears to be taking a step back early this season.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nikki Reich was scrolling through a story about a Milwaukee woman accused of beating her mother to death with a rock when a photo caught her eye.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Oregon slips a spot after a methodical win against Wisconsin, while Ole Miss flips places with Miami after beating Oklahoma on the road.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After dispatching Matt last week, the Ulis took Jason out this week to give themselves the numbers heading towards another tribe swap next week.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
-
This aunt would look into the ball and see the face of some distant relative, and then announce that the family would be having an unexpected visitor, before dispatching someone to the butcher’s to buy the very best pork chops for the occasion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upending. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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