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Synonyms

uppercut

American  
[uhp-er-kuht] / ˈʌp ərˌkʌt /

noun

  1. a swinging blow directed upward, as to an adversary's chin.

  2. Bridge. a play of a higher trump than necessary knowing it can be overtrumped by an opponent but that if overtrumped, one or more trump winners in the hand of one's partner will be established.

verb (used with object)

uppercut, uppercutting

  1. to strike (an opponent) with an uppercut.

verb (used without object)

uppercut, uppercutting

  1. to deliver an uppercut.

  2. Bridge. to make an uppercut.

uppercut British  
/ ˈʌpəˌkʌt /

noun

  1. a short swinging upward blow with the fist delivered at an opponent's chin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to hit (an opponent) with an uppercut

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of uppercut

First recorded in 1840–50; upper 1 + cut

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.

TKV found success with his left hook and Clarke with his uppercut, but both men soaked up the shots as if they were bouncing off stone.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

With the names of his children, Betty and George, etched on his shorts, Allen started to stalk Makhmudov, with a massive body shot followed by a right uppercut landing in the fifth round.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2025

Finally, on July 18, 2022, the couple sat across from a neurologist who delivered the diagnosis with all the delicacy of an uppercut.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2025

India's Yashasvi Jaiswal manages to uppercut a rapid short ball from England's Jofra Archer in "extraordinary" fashion on day one of the fourth Test match at Old Trafford.

From BBC • Jul. 23, 2025

I knew how to take cover and wait for the perfect time to throw the uppercut.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.