upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend 

upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1

: to set or stand on end

also : overturn sense 1

upended the bucket to use as a stool

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 of upend

• defeat
• overcome
• master
• take
• beat
• worst
• conquer
• get
• best
• stop

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

The hook for both series was how to upend the peaceful endings each surviving Dutton child was handed in the Yellowstone series finale. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026

Cotillard stars as a woman with a troubled past whose new life is upended by a child’s disappearance in the drama written and directed by Canet. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 May 2026

The Dutch director’s debut tells the story of Vera, a fun-loving 23-year-old woman whose life is upended when an accident leaves her in a wheelchair. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026

The financial crisis of 2007 upended this comfortable consensus. —Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for upend

• amend
• append
• ascend
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend

Kids Definition

upend

verb

up·​end ˌə-ˈpend 

: to set, stand, or rise on end