upturn

American  

[uhp-turn, uhp-turn, uhp-turn] / ʌpˈtɜrn, ˈʌpˌtɜrn, ˈʌpˌtɜrn /

verb (used with object)

1. to turn up or over.

   The farmer upturned clumps of sod with his spade.

2. to cause disorder; upheave.

   The storm upturned the town.

3. to direct or turn upward.

   She upturned her face toward heaven and prayed.

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verb (used without object)

1. to turn up or upward.

   Her eyes upturned to see his face.

noun

1. chaos or extreme disorder, as in society; an upheaval.

2. an upward turn, or a changing and rising movement, as in prices or business.

upturn British  

verb

1. to turn or cause to turn up, over, or upside down

2. (tr) to create disorder

3. (tr) to direct upwards

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noun

1. an upward turn, trend, or improvement

2. an upheaval or commotion

Etymology

Origin of upturn

1300–50; Middle English: to overturn; up-, turn

Explanation

Use the noun upturn to describe an improvement, especially in finances or business. If your neighborhood ice cream man is smiling, it is probably because the hot summer weather this week has caused an upturn in his popsicle business. You're likely to come across the word upturn when you're reading the newspaper or watching TV news, at least if things are looking up, financially: "There are strong signs of an economic upturn."

Example Sentences

Still, the upturn in inflation has dented the stock market and pushed interest rates higher, both of which could act as drags on the economy through the spring and early summer.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Now, Wall Street is wrestling with the sustainability of an upturn.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Despite United's recent upturn in form since the appointment of the former midfielder, these are challenging times for Ratcliffe and his business Ineos, the petrochemicals firm he founded and leads.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Business surveys also pointed to a solid upturn in activity in January, while retail sales rose in the run-up to the Christmas period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

She smiled at me, but her eyes didn’t crinkle with the upturn of her lips.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

Related Words

• recovery
• upswing