upturn

1 of 2

verb

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn How to pronounce upturn (audio)
ˌəp-ˈtərn
upturned; upturning; upturns

transitive verb

1
: to turn up or over
2
: to direct upward

intransitive verb

: to turn upward

upturn

2 of 2

noun

up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn How to pronounce upturn (audio)
: an upward turn especially toward better conditions or higher prices

Examples of upturn in a Sentence

Verb at this point the road upturns steeply, the trees become scarcer, and the valley unfolds before you
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The outage highlights how extensive people's reliance on technology has become and how an error based on something as trivial as a calendar date can upturn entire businesses and disrupt people's day. Scharon Harding, WIRED, 1 Mar. 2024 And the aim of travel is to upturn those. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2023 The fate of the platform remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: banning it would upturn fundamental principles of democracy. Nicholas Thompson, Wired, 1 Aug. 2020 Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Herbert Diess said Tuesday that the war in Ukraine threatened to upturn the company’s projections for this year. Sean McLain, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2022 Hundreds of residents have shown up at local government meetings, voicing concerns that the plant will upturn their daily lives and harm the local water supply. J. Scott Trubey, ajc, 22 Feb. 2022 People who prefer parkas that don’t upturn and shield from above the shoulders to shins might win the argument on which waterproof covering works best. oregonlive, 4 Dec. 2021 Across the same time period, scientists estimate a 1.6 degree Fahrenheit upturn in the over-lake air temperature for all the Great Lakes — with most of the change also occurring since the late 1990s. Dan Egan, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2021 Since the announcement, players such as Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields have expressed their discontent with the season's postponement, with Fields going so far as to create an online petition to upturn the Big Ten's decision. Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, 20 Aug. 2020
Noun
Citing the Rose Report, the organization welcomed the upturn in female entrepreneurship. Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Declines in traditional advertising revenue have been persistent for the last few quarters for most media companies, and there is hope the pattern will break in 2024 as a stock-market upturn and lowered interest rates buoy consumer spending. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Feb. 2024 That upturn was due, in large part, to the emergence of freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza, whose play down the stretch propelled the Bears into the postseason for the first time since 2019. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2024 But these days, investors who want to ride market upturns—or bet on market reversals—are turning more to single-industry ETFs. Derek Horstmeyer, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2023 This eliminates the guesswork when elements of the business take a down or upturn. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023 This term, with a return to fitness for Ansu Fati, an upturn in form enjoyed by Ousmane Dembele and the arrival of Raphinha, Ilias has dropped back down to the B team now known as Barca Athletic. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023 The prospects for an upturn in Year 2 are modest, which is better than microscopic. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023 According to the article: Fed officials and Mr. Biden’s advisers, many of whom had served either under Mr. Obama or, like Ms. Yellen, at the Fed during the financial crisis, remained haunted by the slow recovery of the 2010s and fears that new waves of Covid could derail the nascent upturn. Norbert Michel, Forbes, 16 June 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1567, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upturn was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near upturn

Cite this Entry

“Upturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upturn. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

upturn

1 of 2 verb
up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn How to pronounce upturn (audio)
ˌəp-ˈtərn
1
: to turn up or over
an upturned boat
2
: to turn or direct upward
upturned faces

upturn

2 of 2 noun
up·​turn ˈəp-ˌtərn How to pronounce upturn (audio)
: an upward turning (as toward better conditions or higher prices)

More from Merriam-Webster on upturn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!