UPENDS Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

upends

verb

present tense third-person singular of upend

as in overcomes

to achieve a victory over the team won the division play-offs, but was upended in the final championship game

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as in erects

to fix in an upright position we had to upend the sofa in order to fit it into the elevator

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of upends Gas prices globally have surged as the war in Iran upends the energy sector. — Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026 But the field of radiology isn’t just staring at its shoes, waiting to see how technology upends the profession. — Katie Palmer, STAT, 24 Sep. 2026 Just as Guthrie’s song is a little edgier than it’s always been given credit for, Clark’s song gently upends some of the expectations that might arise nowadays for any song celebrating America. — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 The wildcard is Robert Mallory (Homer Gere, son of actor Richard), a new student who upends the fragile harmony between the two couples. — Michel Ghanem, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026 While Danny uncovers Chad's secret early on in the season and helps keep his secret, Ricky doesn't find out until the finale -- a revelation that upends their friendship and leaves audiences wondering where the two stand. — Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 Middlemarch George Eliot’s unconventional Victorian novel upends expectations while crafting a complex portrait of family and individual life in fictional Middlemarch, North Loamshire. — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026 Sadayuki Murai’s twisty script constantly upends our understanding of the film’s reality, resulting in what might be a record-breaking number of rug pulls. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 Jennifer Cowan, chief executive of Connections for Children, an agency that helps Westside and South Bay families navigate child-care options and subsidies, said losing spots upends family routines. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for upends

Verb

Roger overcomes stage-fright to shine in the school performance.

— Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
Airscope overcomes this limitation by delivering a large field of view in a design light enough for animals to wear freely.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcomes

Verb

Perhaps that is why the voucher program’s $26 billion plan rejects accountability and erects barriers for meaningful participation of public school students.

— Denise Forte, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026
King drops elephants through the air, erects wobbly Towers of Babel, lets characters run amok with depictions of her own pencils, and then summons a hand with a knife to clear a clean space on the page.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of erects

Verb

In the final race of his career, 3-year-old Man O War defeats 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race, the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
This eventually defeats Other Mommy, leaving the happy family of three intact — even though there’s subtext that Bela will always have a little discomfort around her mother.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeats

Verb

Part of the ceiling consideration at quarterback is how a player masters the mental side of the game.

— Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2026
The real competitive advantage of the next decade will not belong to the CEO who masters every AI platform, but the CEO who consistently makes better decisions.

— Jose Luis Gonzalez Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of masters

Verb

As mentioned, this new skin trend takes its name from mochi, a traditional Japanese rice cake treat famous for its bouncy texture, plump appearance, and smooth, slightly translucent surface.

— Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
This takes more chutzpah than Ohtani’s insistence to continue as a two-way player.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of takes

Verb

Simply put, to stay economically competitive, America needs computing power that matches or beats its adversaries’.

— Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
The golden saffron panna cotta is an ode in dessert form to my favorite Italian region (and, in my opinion, beats zabaione), while a basil sorbet topping a raspberry mascarpone coupe was a palate cleanser to remember.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of beats

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upending

upends

up-front

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“Upends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upends. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of upends

verb

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