applecart

noun

ap·​ple·​cart ˈa-pəl-ˌkärt How to pronounce applecart (audio)
: a plan, system, situation, or undertaking that may be disrupted or terminated
upset the applecart

Examples of applecart in a Sentence

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.
Zayn drew ubiquitous comparisons to Daniel Bryan and the Yes Movement, which saw a grassroots movement upset the applecart of WrestleMania 30. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023 But for morphogenes evolution has to use the tools and tricks of photoshopping, making recourse to extant elements and rearranging or tweaking things here and there so as not to upset the complex applecart while modulating on the margins. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2010 What upsets the applecart and sends employees scattering? Rob Catalano, Forbes, 2 May 2022 The supplier spent two decades manufacturing the Cameroon national team jerseys and used it as an opportunity to really upset the applecart. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2021 But unlike France, knocked out by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, and England, eliminated during the group stage, Germany, coached by Stefan Kuntz, managed to upset the applecart. Manuel Veth, Forbes, 6 June 2021 And this ‘goldilocks’ scenario is something Wall Street seems to like: the possibility of more economic support for a struggling economy without the possibility of legislation that will completely upset the applecart. Nathan Bachrach and Amy Wagner, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2021 Assume another Republican seat is added, though if the commission upsets the proverbial applecart in the state, that number could grow. Sean Trende, National Review, 13 Nov. 2020 With the La Porte Texans bringing a perfect 6-0 record to the game and averaging 23 points per contest, no one imagined the 3-3 Tigers would come within a two-point kick of upsetting the TIFI applecart. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of applecart was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near applecart

Cite this Entry

“Applecart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/applecart. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!