How to Use upright in a Sentence

upright

1 of 3 adjective
  • Put your seat back in the upright position.
  • The container should be kept upright to prevent leaks.
  • Make sure leaves are healthy and stems are upright.
    — Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart.
    — Jakob Roze, Health, 18 Aug. 2025
  • His front legs weren’t strong enough to keep him upright.
    — Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
  • Make sure your feet are flat on the ground and your chest is upright.
    — Margaret Cirino, NPR, 21 June 2026
  • Don't cut hostas back when most of the plant still has green upright leaves.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Will that be enough to keep Williams upright?
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Aija was all spark and edge on upright bass.
    — Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Set large zipper-style bag in bowl to hold it upright.
    — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 1 June 2026
  • Breakker dropped Jey on two upright chairs, back-to-back.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • This makes the fibers stand upright and creates a plush feel.
    — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Look for healthy stems and trunks that grow upright rather than sprawling.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
  • Basil grows in an upright form with small shoots growing off to the sides.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Adult black bears stand about three feet high on all fours and about five feet tall when upright.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 May 2026
  • Raw beef stored next to and above ready to eat foods in the upright freezer.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado february 13, Sacbee.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Place them upright in a tray, fill them with soil, and plant seeds as usual.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Vinyl records should be stored upright on a shelf or in an archival vinyl box in a cool, dry area.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Raw seafood was stored over ready-to-eat food at the two-door upright cooler.
    — Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
  • To keep the bulbs upright, their bases are hot-glued to small tart pans lined with pebbles.
    — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Repeat the process at a higher point as plants grow to keep them upright.
    — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2026
  • Stand the board upright to allow it to fully dry.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
  • Flowers stand on strong upright stems above a dense mound of foliage.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 May 2026
  • The opener comes with a base and should be stored upright while charging.
    — Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2023
  • Gently firm the medium around each stem to keep it upright.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Set it upright on a flat, hard surface, such as concrete or pavers.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
  • In fact, videos show that Ross remained upright.
    — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Store them upright in a glass or jar with about an inch of water at the bottom.
    — Aly Walansky, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026
  • There was ice build-up inside the one-door, upright freezer.
    — Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The entrance was marked by large upright mammoth tusks.
    — Literary Hub, 1 May 2026

upright

2 of 3 adverb
  • No one needs to sleep upright or eat skyr to feel better.
    — Marisa McMillan, Outside, 29 Dec. 2025
  • And tamales should steam upright so the masa cooks evenly.
    — Davey Alba, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2025
  • But that required him to sleep upright.
    — Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Gasoline has been drained from the truck and it has been pulled back upright.
    — Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 17 July 2022
  • Cut an inch away from the root and place them upright in a glass of water.
    — Natasha Bazika, House Beautiful, 1 July 2020
  • Cut each cob in half, then stand each half upright and cut off the kernels.
    — Joe Yonan, The Denver Post, 15 July 2019
  • Scout sits upright next to my mom and stares at her intensely for hours.
    — Mika Brzezinski, NBC News, 1 Dec. 2019
  • The teen in a pink hoodie and torn black jeans sat upright before the judge.
    — Deepa Fernandes, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 Dec. 2021
  • The woman was buried upright, seated cross-legged on a bed of antlers.
    — Kristin Romey, National Geographic, 11 Nov. 2019
  • The green hood hangs upright on a wall, severed from the body of the sweatshirt.
    — Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2022
  • Then the officer dragged him upright and punched him in the back, the claim said.
    — Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2019
  • Take out of the fridge and stick a candy cane stick upright in each pool of chocolate.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 22 Dec. 2025
  • His field-goal attempt from 53 yards hit the left upright and bounced away.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2023
  • The bears can weigh up to 300 pounds and stand five feet tall when standing upright.
    — Chuck Johnston, CNN, 23 Oct. 2022
  • Rails that once held the boats upright are still preserved along the floor in the building today.
    — oregonlive, 7 Oct. 2019
  • That candle — the first-stage booster — landed upright on an ocean barge.
    — Marcia Dunn, Chron, 11 Nov. 2021
  • Cut off top and bottom, stand the squash upright on its thick flat size on the board, then slice from top to bottom.
    — Beth Segal, cleveland, 8 Oct. 2020
  • The Lac La Belle is sitting upright on the lake floor.
    — George Petras, USA Today, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Gomez places the bottle upright and steps back, her clothes covered in a fresh coat of yeast and grape matter.
    — Melissa Mora Hidalgo, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2023
  • The answer is man, who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks upright as a young man, and leans on a cane in old age.
    — Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2022
  • Sit it upright on a chopping board and use the knife to slice downward and remove the outer skin.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2021
  • All those institutions bent over backward to keep the house of cards upright.
    — David Roberts, Vox, 9 July 2019
  • Make sure each can is sitting upright on the canning rack, and keep at least a half an inch of space between each jar.
    — Rachel Feltman, Popular Science, 13 Oct. 2020
  • Many believed that the brain had evolved at the same time that pre-humans began walking upright.
    — Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 3 July 2022
  • The white flower cones are oversized for the shrub's dimensions and held upright on strong stems.
    — Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Mar. 2023
  • For assembly, stick the base of the tree into the hole and watch your tree stand upright all season long.
    — Casey Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
  • To do this, find a medium-size piece of kindling and stand it upright on a tree root or even a picnic table.
    — The Editors, Field & Stream, 5 June 2020
  • The white dog, who sports a distinctive black patch around one eye, was filmed sitting upright on a seat like a human.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The rows of rice stalks that had been standing upright a day earlier were bent over like they had been trampled by a huge crowd.
    — Jhesset O. Enano, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2022
  • Darrisaw can do the job to help keep Carson Wentz upright from the blind side.
    — Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Apr. 2021

upright

3 of 3 noun
  • The uprights of the structure were embedded in concrete.
  • Keep your chest upright, and feel the stretch through your chest.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
  • Sit upright on the floor with the legs stretched out in front of you.
    — Isadora Baum, Men's Health, 24 July 2023
  • Viewers could see the ball curve wide of the uprights, though.
    — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Along each upright sat five students at blue desks, each with a buzzer in hand.
    — Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2023
  • Carneiro missed a field goal, as well, kicking a ball off the left upright.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2026
  • And watch John Kasay kick the ball through the uprights.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
  • We should be freed of having to have our camera upright all the time.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Set the lampshade upright on a thick towel to dry.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Stand the box upright so the lid opens outward like a cupboard door.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Too often, his hands are by his side with his posture upright.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
  • At the same time, bring arms forward and keep the torso upright.
    — Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 9 Aug. 2023
  • As Aubrey approached the spot, the uprights grew.
    — Dan Robson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
  • Palms should be facing forward with back straight and chest upright.
    — Jennifer Nied, Women's Health, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Lift the weight off the rack, and engage your core to keep your torso upright.
    — Brett Williams, Men's Health, 6 July 2023
  • The extra point doinked off the upright to keep the score 6-0.
    — Erik Anderson, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The attempt soared through the uprights, as his teammates stormed the field.
    — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The Bills had two extra points blocked in the wild card round and one graze an upright.
    — Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2022
  • Curl your right toes under behind you and keep your torso upright, hands on hips.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The upright, with the integral brake caliper is more like a robotic wasp nest.
    — Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 13 Aug. 2023
  • Most of Fitzgerald’s kicks this season have gone through the uprights.
    — Joseph Person, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Biles' post showed the pair jumping up and down after seeing the kick go through the uprights.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • It was tugged left, banged off the upright and the lead remained 17-0 at the half.
    — Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2022
  • McPherson’s kick banged off the crossbar of the goal post and went through the uprights.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Then Sanders’ 32-yard field goal attempt hit against the upright for a miss.
    — Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, 21 Nov. 2021
  • Four plays later, Dicker’s kick sailed through the uprights.
    — Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In each video, Graziano would sit Noodle upright to see if the dog could stand on his own.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN, 3 Dec. 2022
  • While the attempt ran out of some steam on the way to the post, the ball made it through the uprights with a bit of room to spare.
    — Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
  • The tester felt the Dyson cleaned just as well as a traditional upright.
    — Toni Sutton, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The front hubs and uprights are Grand National stock-car pieces.
    — Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 16 June 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upright.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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