upturn
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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chaos or extreme disorder, as in society; an upheaval.
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an upward turn, or a changing and rising movement, as in prices or business.
verb
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to turn or cause to turn up, over, or upside down
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(tr) to create disorder
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(tr) to direct upwards
noun
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an upward turn, trend, or improvement
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an upheaval or commotion
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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upturnsimple
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upturnssimple
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have upturnedperfect
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has upturnedperfect
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am upturningprogressive
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are upturningprogressive
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is upturningprogressive
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have been upturningperfect progressive
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has been upturningperfect progressive
Past
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upturnedsimple
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had upturnedperfect
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was upturningprogressive
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were upturningprogressive
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had been upturningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of upturn
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The economy has been more resilient than Goldman initially expected, as the artificial intelligence-driven technology upturn has more than offset some of the effects of the Middle East conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
It was a similar story in the second half, where the hydration break seemed to prompt an upturn in England's performance.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
And it is how those clubs have bounced back, as well as coping with what has happened this season, that provides Sanderson with belief for an on-field upturn.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Irwin also sees opportunities in China, with recent improvements in the Purchasing Managers’ Index, surveys of hiring intentions and other data points signaling a slight upturn in what has been a multiyear economic rout.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
She smiled at me, but her eyes didn’t crinkle with the upturn of her lips.
From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed
The step up between the final months of 2025 and early 2026 was attributed to "upturns in government spending and exports and an acceleration in investment," while consumer spending decelerated.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
“Japan’s manufacturing industry propelled itself back into growth territory at the start of 2026, with firms signaling the strongest upturns in output and new orders for nearly four years,” said Fiddes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026
But even with the upturns among these students, their scores were sobering: 36.8% were proficient in English, 25% in math and 20.7% in science.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2024
The company said it benefitted from regional upturns in demand as well as from strict cost and cash management.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 4, 2020
Bud finds old location on widow's claim, upturns all previous calculation & information given me by her.
From Cabin Fever by Bower, B. M.
His upturned eyes express calm wonder as his gaze meets that of the infant Jesus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Successive face-lifts have finally erased the original’s daft, Cheshire Cat smile, formed by the grille’s upturned corners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2025
Still, it’s nice to have a sweeping view of the first film’s prosthetic makeup: the Cowardly Lion’s upturned nostrils, the Scarecrow’s baggy jowls, the real horses painted purple and red with Jell-O.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025
In his case, he had an upturned neck guard.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2025
We fly in fast circles around the top of the dome, while a crowd of upturned faces cheers us on.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Arcel’s films don’t revise Danish history so much as expand upon it, upturning previously held assumptions and examining the corruption of powerful men, with a socially progressive, even feminist bent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
It signaled an upturning of all known history.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 12, 2021
This virus is upturning nearly everything about how we live our lives.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2020
That effectively cut off seven villages, upturning the lives of their 35,000 residents.
From New York Times ● Apr. 13, 2016
It sliced through the prairie grass, upturning a two-foot ribbon of chocolate-colored earth.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
