overturn
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause (something) to turn onto its side, face, or back; upset.
to overturn a vase.
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to destroy the power or validity of; overthrow; defeat: The new findings have not overturned the theory itself.
The conspiracy finally overturned the regime.
The new findings have not overturned the theory itself.
- Synonyms:
- conquer
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to reverse (an official or legal decision).
Rather than accept defeat, the company filed a complaint in federal appeals court to overturn the ruling.
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act of overturning.
-
the state of being overturned.
verb
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to turn or cause to turn from an upright or normal position
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(tr) to overthrow or destroy
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(tr) to invalidate; reverse
the bill was passed in the Commons but overturned in the Lords
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
See upset.
Other Word Forms
- overturnable adjective
Etymology
Origin of overturn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since Hasina's regime was overturned, prosecutors in Bangladesh have launched a number of wide-ranging legal cases against the former leader, her past associates and family members.
From BBC
We are lacking in composure and calmness to overturn results.
From BBC
The government had warned a day earlier that overturning the vetoes could have "immediate and hard-to-reverse effects," citing the "alarming rise in extreme climate disasters."
From Barron's
The oil and gas from Vaca Muerta has given Argentina energy self-sufficiency, overturning decades of shortages and the need for expensive imports.
From BBC
The local authority won an emergency interim injunction to close the hotel to migrants in the summer, only to have the ruling overturned by the Court of Appeal.
From BBC
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.
