upturn
Americanverb (used with object)
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upturns,
present (3rd person singular)
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upturned,
past participle, past
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upturning
present participle
verb (used without object)
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upturns,
present (3rd person singular)
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upturned,
past participle, past
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upturning
present participle
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:
“July’s upturn may not be the start of an improving trend,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
As a reward for an upturn in form, the province were heavily represented in Ireland's Six Nations squad.
From BBC ● May 22, 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
Will be slightly concerned at his team-mate Colapinto's sudden upturn in performance.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
“Gosh a’mighty, I couldn’t hardly wait to upturn my dang nail keg!”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
James has been making content for almost six years, and he said he’s seen influencers come and go after market upturns and downturns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
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
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
Sometimes the worship of the Gods not rightly conducted upturns one's life, and sometimes the many and dissatisfied opinions of men harass.
From The Tragedies of Euripides, Volume I. by Euripides
"The family asked us to help via Facebook," said volunteer Charlotte Darribat, as she fed the reptile near upturned sunchairs and strewn clothes in the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
His upturned eyes express calm wonder as his gaze meets that of the infant Jesus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
A few have Asian-inspired elements like flared or upturned columns or dormers, while others incorporate floral motifs and stained glass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2025
The figure was then shown posing for a photograph in front of the upturned vehicle.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2025
Sitting on that fountain, face upturned, drinking in the sunshine like a flower, looking completely beatific.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
At tables favored by film executives, there is eye rolling and nose upturning about Silicon Valley’s push into entertainment: Apple is spending how much on Martin Scorsese’s next film?
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2022
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
You may think you know, but “Bodyguard” is all about upturning those expectations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2018
I tried to fake a smile, but all I could manage was a feeble upturning of the corners of my mouth—my stomach was turning at the sight of my father bonding with Assef.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
