applecart
1
8.2
- noun
- /ˈæpəlˌkɑrt/
- Informal
:
planes
- Her sudden resignation really upset the applecart of our team's plans for the project.
- upset the applecart
Examples
-
It will be how he responds to this next phase that will determine whether he's good enough to upset the applecart.
Blog text (21) -
Change would upset the applecart that took him to the White House.
Blog text (7) -
But then along came Charles Darwin, with his theory of natural selection, and this threatened to upset the applecart.
Academic text (2001) -
Yes, Vatican II did upset the applecart, but the real problem was that too many wormy fruits were on it.
Blog text (10) -
I guess the Republican bureaucracy doesn't want to upset the applecart, even if it means weakening their presence in Congress.
Blog text (22) -
Finally, Charlie "cheerfully predicted" at least one game-changer upsetting the whole applecart.
Blog text (16) -
Introducing too many changes can often upset the applecart in a well-functioning organization.
-
A delay in funding could upset the applecart for our upcoming community event.
Synonyms
507
2.2
To think ahead and decide what to do to prepare for something
1
3.5
Making things ready before an event or activity
How Disruptive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Applecart is used in the old image of a seller's cart being tipped over and the apples spilling everywhere, so to 'upset the applecart' means 'to disturb or ruin someone's carefully made plans'.