upturn

[ verb uhp-turn, uhp-turn; noun uhp-turn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to turn up or over:

   The farmer upturned clumps of sod with his spade.

2. to cause disorder; upheave:

   The storm upturned the town.

3. to direct or turn upward:

   She upturned her face toward heaven and prayed.

verb (used without object)

1. to turn up or upward:

   Her eyes upturned to see his face.

noun

1. chaos or extreme disorder, as in society; an upheaval.
2. an upward turn, or a changing and rising movement, as in prices or business.

upturn

verb

1. to turn or cause to turn up, over, or upside down
2. tr to create disorder
3. tr to direct upwards

noun

1. an upward turn, trend, or improvement
2. an upheaval or commotion

Word History and Origins

Origin of upturn¹

1300–50; Middle English: to overturn; up-, turn

Example Sentences

Because New York City was seeing an upturn in cases and hospitalizations at the time, Mayor Eric Adams was criticized this summer for discontinuing the color-coded warning system for virus transmission.

From Time

Upturn found that in addition to these instances, the technology is also used for minor crimes such as marijuana possession or vandalism.

From Time

But, 2021 saw some dramatic upturns in the prices of natural gas.

From Popular-Science

More than 560,000 Americans have died of covid-19, and the country has seen an upturn in infections in the past week.

From Washington Post

The upturn has alarmed policymakers just as students return to school and offices try to bring back employees who have been working from home.

From Fortune

If your 11-year-old mocks you by making a cawing voice, upturn his dinner plate and mock his mocking voice.

From The Daily Beast

But those most dramatically affected by the “amazing” upturn are people who write comic novels and blog for The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

He was just in time to catch the quick upturn of a passing face.

From Project Gutenberg

In the void Glancing, his tail upturn'd its venomous fork, With sting like scorpion's arm'd.

From Project Gutenberg

Straightway the winds upturn the main, and great seas rise; we are tossed asunder over the dreary gulf.

From Project Gutenberg

This was about twenty feet long, and ended in a little upturn so that a sled would shoot up with a jerk and come down with a bang.

From Project Gutenberg

There a slant upturn of tight-drawn lids revealed the quintessence of priestly cruelty.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• recovery
• upswing