Synonyms

upend

American

[uhp-end] / ʌpˈɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to set on end, as a barrel or ship.
to affect drastically or radically, as tastes, opinions, reputations, or systems.
to defeat in competition, as in boxing or business.

verb (used without object)

to become upended.
to place the body back-end up, as a dabbling duck.

upend British

/ ʌpˈɛnd /

verb

to turn or set or become turned or set on end
(tr) to affect or upset drastically

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of upend

First recorded in 1815–25; up- + end ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A surge in energy costs would squeeze consumers and threaten to upend a fragile global economy already battered by trade conflicts.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Monday, Citrini Research put out a blog post laying out a hypothetical, cataclysmic near-future in which AI eliminates white-collar jobs, upending companies and entire industries.

From MarketWatch

This upends the basic arrangement that underwrote great cities—what they are, how they work and who pays for them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The S&P 500 lingered just below the 7000 mark throughout February, and tariff turmoil and concerns that artificial intelligence may upend the economy continue to weigh on stocks heading into March.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023