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

There’s nothing wrong with abandoning atheism per se, but upending worldviews should always be handled with care, caution, and available support. —Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

The lawsuit could upend the process of awarding Virginia's 12 electoral votes to Harris. —Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024

Its lyrics dabble in and dart out of classic rap tropes; braggadocio has its situational benefits, but so does investigating and upending the inequities and insecurities that draw the behavior out. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024

For months, the movement had been accelerating and expanding, damaging homes, cracking roadways and upending life across the Portuguese Bend area. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 25 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