applecart

American  

[ap-uhl-kahrt] / ˈæp əlˌkɑrt /

noun

1. a pushcart used by a vendor of apples.

---

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

---

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

Todd Phillips’ Joker spins the tale of a pathetic loser who ends up a winner, the low-class upstart who upsets the applecart and explodes the establishment.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 7, 2019

I always told Harpe you'd upset the applecart with yo're bullheaded ways.

From The Heart of the Range by William Patterson White

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---