upend

verb

up·​end ˌəp-ˈend How to pronounce upend (audio)
upended; upending; upends

transitive verb

1
: to set or stand on end
2
a
: to affect to the point of being upset or flurried
a … literary shocker, designed to upend the credulous matronsWolcott Gibbs
b

intransitive verb

: to rise on an end

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
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.
For decades, startups have tried and failed to upend how Americans buy and sell homes. Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 The incident underscored many of the dangers of AI, a nascent technology that critics and tech evangelists both say could upend the global economy and cause significant social upheaval along the way. Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 12 July 2025 Led by entrepreneur Sam Altman, OpenAI upended the tech industry with the launch of its AI chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022. Kenrick Cai, USA Today, 11 July 2025 Ensuing generations have grown up with their own fears: Terrorism, climate change, and now AI are upending life across the globe, and nuclear war might seem more like a historical curiosity than a concrete threat. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for upend

Word History

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of upend was in 1823

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Upend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upend. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

upend

verb
up·​end ˌə-ˈpend How to pronounce upend (audio)
: to set, stand, or rise on end

More from Merriam-Webster on upend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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