applecart

American  

[ap-uhl-kahrt] / ˈæp əlˌkɑrt /

noun

1. a pushcart used by a vendor of apples.

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idioms

1. upset the / someone's applecart, to ruin plans or arrangements; spoil something.

   He was making a fantastic profit until a competitor upset the applecart by cutting prices.

applecart British  

/ ˈæpəlˌkɑːt /

noun

1. a cart or barrow from which apples and other fruit are sold in the street

2. to spoil plans or arrangements

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Etymology

Origin of applecart

First recorded in 1780–90; apple + cart

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

applecart

“A Fed hike could upset the applecart in a major way, sucking a lot of capital into the U.S.,” he says.

From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026

Albert Einstein famously upset Isaac Newton’s applecart by figuring out space and time aren’t separate and light energy isn’t like a continuous ray, but is “packaged” as photons that are both particles and waves.

From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2024

From applecart and biodiversity to xeriscaping and zucchini, this delightfully readable resource is filled with hope.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 11, 2021

In a competition that has been marked by relative minnows upsetting the applecart on many occasions, South Africa now face the biggest test of nerve and skill in the history of their women’s side.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 30, 2018

Just a direct pushing over an applecart he couldn't steer!

From With a Vengeance by Woodley, J. B.