upend

American  

[uhp-end] / ʌpˈɛnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to set on end, as a barrel or ship.

2. to affect drastically or radically, as tastes, opinions, reputations, or systems.

3. to defeat in competition, as in boxing or business.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become upended.

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

upend British  

/ ʌpˈɛnd /

verb

1. to turn or set or become turned or set on end

2. (tr) to affect or upset drastically

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Etymology

Origin of upend

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

Explanation

When you upend something, you flip it over or tip it on one side. Tell your sister you won't play checkers with her anymore if she continues to upend the board angrily every time she loses. To move the table from one room to another, you might have to upend it so it'll fit through the door, resting it on one end. The other way to upend something is to invert it, or turn it onto the opposite side, the way you upend a bottle of root beer over a glass or upend your school bag and shake the contents onto your bed to find that lost pack of gum.

Example Sentences

Upend everything we think we know and remake it for a new reality or just go through the motions reliably, if uninspiringly, again and again?

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2022

Related Words

• abolish
• conquer
• crush
• depose
• dethrone
• eradicate
• oust
• overcome
• overrun
• overturn
• put an end to
• raze
• subdue
• subvert
• topple
• unseat
• vanquish