overturn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause (something) to turn onto its side, face, or back; upset.
to overturn a vase.
-
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
-
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
-
the act of overturning.
-
the state of being overturned.
verb
-
to turn or cause to turn from an upright or normal position
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(tr) to overthrow or destroy
-
(tr) to invalidate; reverse
the bill was passed in the Commons but overturned in the Lords
noun
Related 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.
The volunteers faced charges, including “abandonment of property” and felony harboring, though the convictions for some were later overturned.
From Los Angeles Times
Their findings show that at least one microbe can tolerate ambiguity in its genetic code, overturning a central assumption in biology.
From Science Daily
None of the teenagers can be named due to their age after judge Mr Justice Bright rejected an application from the media to overturn reporting restrictions.
From BBC
“I think there’s going to be dovish data this month, because the tariffs were overturned and we know the trend in CPI has been soft and we have concerns about the job market,” he said.
From Barron's
Such automation of what has for decades been work done by highly trained people has led to fears that AI will overturn the job market.
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.
