uproot

verb

up·​root (ˌ)əp-ˈrüt  -ˈru̇t 

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

transitive verb

1

: to remove as if by pulling up

striving to uproot poverty

2

: to pull up by the roots

Many trees were uprooted by the storm.

3

: to displace from a country or traditional habitat

Taking the job would mean uprooting my family.

uprootedness noun

uprooter noun

Synonyms of uproot

• pry
• pull
• yank
• extract
• pluck

Choose the Right Synonym for uproot

exterminate, extirpate, eradicate, uproot mean to effect the destruction or abolition of something.

exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Examples of uproot in a Sentence

Many trees were uprooted by the storm.

Will we ever be able to uproot racial prejudice?

Taking the job would mean uprooting my family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mulch keeps soil temperatures consistent and can prevent plants from being uprooted. —Lauren David, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025

Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2025

Compare that to France, which has put forth a total of $356 million (€307 million) in the past three years (€57 million 2023, €120 million 2024, and €130 million in November 2025) for programs to assist grape growers with uprooting their vines. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2025

Now, despite having already renewed their contract, the Reddit user is being pressured to uproot his life for the convenience of others. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for uproot

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

uproot

verb

up·​root (ˌ)ə-ˈprüt  -ˈpru̇t 

: to remove by or as if by pulling up by the roots

uproot a vine

families uprooted by war