sports meaning of "upset" was first used far more for horse races than for any other competition, there is no evidence of a connection.

In 2002, George Thompson, a lexicographic researcher, used the full-text online search capabilities of The New York Times databases to trace the usage of the verb to upset and the noun upset. The latter was seen in usage as early as 1877.

Examples of upsets

Sports

Below is a selection of major upsets from a variety of popular sports

1.Previous
3.Next