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View synonyms for

upon

[ uh-pon, uh-pawn ]

preposition

  1. up and on; upward so as to get or be on:

    He climbed upon his horse and rode off.

  2. in an elevated position on:

    There is a television antenna upon every house in the neighborhood.

  3. in or into complete or approximate contact with, as an attacker or an important or pressing occasion:

    The enemy was upon us and our soldiers had little time to escape. The Christmas holiday will soon be upon us and we have hardly begun to buy gifts. The time to take action is upon us.

  4. immediately or very soon after:

    She went into mourning upon her husband's death.

  5. on the occasion of:

    She was joyful upon seeing her child take his first steps.

  6. on (in any of various senses, used as an equivalent of on with no added idea of ascent or elevation, and preferred in certain cases only for euphonic or metrical reasons):

    He swore upon his honor as a gentleman.



upon

/ əˈɒ /

preposition

  1. another word for on
  2. indicating a position reached by going up

    climb upon my knee

  3. imminent for

    the weekend was upon us again

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of upon1

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; up (adverb) + on (preposition)
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Word History and Origins

Origin of upon1

C13: from up + on
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Entering the day, no team had relied upon its relievers more heavily.

From

A former Ventura County school counselor, who was arrested in November on suspicion of molesting eight young children, has been charged with 14 additional felony counts of lewd acts upon a child after five more victims came forward, authorities said.

From

In November he pleaded not guilty to 17 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 years old, according to court documents.

From

Choice ticketholders choose from standard seats upon booking, while those who opt for Basic — the most restrictive fare — are assigned seats at check-in.

From

Upon discovering she was transgender, the suspect “pulled away and threatened to kill the victim,” before leaving.

From

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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.

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Upoluup one's alley