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
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.
Verb
Just like the music itself: sonically rich, theatrical, ingeniously narrated and visualized by a woman who manages to prevent gender while redefining femininity and, as a result, upturn the power structures of hip hop. Julian Randall, Essence, 9 Oct. 2024 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
Noun
There are higher lows in momentum and an upturn in relative strength. Bill Sarubbi, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 That was the latest news: A catastrophic day ended in a slight upturn, and the market seemed to recover somewhat the next day. Erin Alberty, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for upturn 

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 26 Nov. 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!