overturn

play

verb over·turn \ ˌō-vər-ˈtərn \

Definition of overturn

transitive verb

1 :to cause to turn over :upset

overturned the vase

2 a :invalidate, destroy

the degree to which accident could overturn the schemes of wise men
—Oscar Handlin

b :reverse 2a

overturn a court ruling

intransitive verb

:upset, turn over

The car went off the road and overturned several times.

See overturn defined for English-language learners

See overturn defined for kids

Examples of overturn in a Sentence

The dog overturned the bowl.
The truck went off the road and overturned several times.
The court overturned his conviction.

Recent Examples of overturn from the Web

The car was overturned and up against a tree, according to rescue officials in Montgomery County.

— dana hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Tractor trailer crash along Rockville Pike in Montgomery County," 29 Aug. 2017
A plan aimed at separating homes from industrial uses in the future was overturned by a majority of city voters in 2014.

— joshua emerson smith, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego redrafting highly contested blueprint for Barrio Logan," 28 Aug. 2017
Thereafter, Hampton began working for free to overturn the Kellers' conviction.

— avi selk, chicagotribune.com, "Falsely accused of satanic horrors, a couple spent 21 years in prison. Now they're owed millions.," 26 Aug. 2017
The law states that someone must have a conviction overturned based on new evidence, among other requirements.

— ed white, The Seattle Times, "Man cleared of rape after 35 years gets $1.7 million," 16 Aug. 2017
Farouk El-Baz, a space scientist at Boston University and member of the library's advisory board, is optimistic that the appeals court will overturn the conviction.

— erik stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Researchers rally around science advocate convicted in Egypt," 11 Aug. 2017
The 2004 capital punishment decision was the fourth time the Court of Appeals had overturned a death sentence since a new statute was passed in 1995 to overcome the constitutional shortcomings of earlier measures.

— sam roberts, New York Times, "Judge George Bundy Smith, 80, Dies; Wrote Ruling Voiding New York Death Penalty," 9 Aug. 2017
At a School Board meeting on Wednesday, board members voted 8 to 1 to join litigation seeking to overturn portions of a bill some critics say was designed to boost the fortunes of the politically powerful charter school industry.

— kyra gurney, miamiherald, "Miami-Dade school district agrees to join suit over controversial state education law," 9 Aug. 2017
The Trump administration overturned the guidelines quickly after taking office.

— lucy diavolo, Teen Vogue, "How to be an Ally to Transgender People," 28 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overturn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of overturn

13th century

overturn Synonyms

Synonyms

capsize, turn over, upset

Antonyms

right

Related Words

invert, overset, overthrow, pitchpole, topple, tump (over) [chiefly Southern], upend; careen, heel, keel, lean, list, tilt, tip; collapse, fall, founder, give

Near Antonyms

stand up, straighten (up); erect, raise

overturn

play

noun over·turn \ ˈō-vər-ˌtərn \

Definition of overturn

1 :the act of overturning :the state of being overturned

2 :the sinking of surface water and rise of bottom water in a lake or sea that results from changes in temperature that commonly occur in spring and fall

Recent Examples of overturn from the Web

Is the board disturbing a hornet nest, so that an overturn vote is all but certain?

— kelly g. richardson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "HOA Homefront: The rules on rules," 3 June 2017
In the moments after the overturn, the Royals’ dugout was stunned.

— rustin dodd, kansascity.com, "Two mistakes cost Jason Vargas, Royals in 4-2 loss to the Yankees," 22 May 2017
There must be differences in the magma supply to the two halves of the patera, and whatever is triggering the start of overturn manages to trigger both halves at nearly the same time but not exactly.

— Fox News, "Lava waves sweep across Jupiter moon Io's massive molten lake," 11 May 2017
LeMahieu went well out of his way to initiate contact pic.twitter.com/pzwxxbY4XD — Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) April 30, 2017 The Diamondbacks were furious about the overturn, and Pollock had to be restrained.

— andrew joseph, USA TODAY, "Umpires make blatantly wrong interference call," 30 Apr. 2017
Fearing an overturn of the fiduciary standard, the Consumer Federation of America in the last days of the Obama administration circulated a report that takes aim at investment business lobbying efforts.

— gail marksjarvis, Twin Cities, "On the Money: Is your financial adviser a ‘fiduciary’?," 28 Jan. 2017
For much of the past decade, an abnormally early heat wave has hindered the lakes’ spring overturn — an annual process that mixes the water column and carries oxygen down to the depths.

— National Geographic, "Summer in March? Warming Climate Alters Europe's Seasons," 4 Apr. 2016

First Known Use of overturn

circa 1592

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

OVERTURN Defined for English Language Learners

overturn

play

verb

Definition of overturn for English Language Learners

: to turn (something) over
: to turn over
: to decide that (a ruling, decision, etc.) is wrong and change it

OVERTURN Defined for Kids

overturn

play

verb over·turn \ ˌō-vər-ˈtərn \

Definition of overturn for Students

overturned; overturning

1 :to turn over or upside down

Waves overturned the boat.

2 :to reverse or cancel something previously decided or ordered

The judge overturned the lower court's ruling.

Law Dictionary

overturn

transitive verb over·turn

legal Definition of overturn

:overrule

Learn More about overturn

See words that rhyme with overturn Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for overturn Spanish Central: Translation of overturn Nglish: Translation of overturn for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of overturn for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up overturn? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

overturn

Definition of overturn

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of overturn in a Sentence

Recent Examples of overturn from the Web

First Known Use of overturn

overturn Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

overturn

Definition of overturn

Recent Examples of overturn from the Web

First Known Use of overturn

Other Ecology Terms

Phrases Related to OVERTURN

Related Phrases

OVERTURN Defined for English Language Learners

overturn

Definition of overturn for English Language Learners

OVERTURN Defined for Kids

overturn

Definition of overturn for Students

Law Dictionary

overturn

legal Definition of overturn

Learn More about overturn

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066