uproot

verb

uprooted; uprooting; uproots

transitive verb

1
: to remove as if by pulling up
2
: to pull up by the roots
3
: to displace from a country or traditional habitat
uprootedness noun
uprooter noun
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
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.
Cumberland is one of more than 70 places in the U.S. that have paid people to uproot and move in over the past five years, according to MakeMyMove.com. Nancy Chen, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2025 When guests arrive in town with a plan that will uproot Junie’s life, her act of desperation wakes Minnie’s spirit from the grave, also unveiling horrifying secrets about Bellereine. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025 Is there a way to recapture the benefits of mobility without asking people to repeatedly uproot their deepest local ties? Rachel Cohen, Vox, 18 Feb. 2025 Then, President Trump unleashed a plan to uproot decades of trade policy. Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for uproot

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uproot was circa 1620

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uproot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uproot. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

uproot

verb
: to remove by or as if by pulling up by the roots
uproot a vine
families uprooted by war

More from Merriam-Webster on uproot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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