upend
verb (used with object)
to set on end, as a barrel or ship.
upending
-
present participleof upend.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
The latest incident at Six Flags Over Georgia brings fresh scrutiny on the safety of its rides, and risks upending the turnaround campaign that its leaders had under way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
A record-breaking El Nino will likely force the world's top chefs to rethink their menus ahead of droughts, floods and heatwaves upending global food systems.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Ford made their name with the micro-indie, micro-focused “Test Pattern,” an act of upending as it dissected an interracial relationship’s fault lines in a moment of crisis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Life has a way of upending even the best financial plans.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Or when that social worker had escorted him to his empty apartment to pack up a small bag of things, upending his life as yours had been upended, as mine had too.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
