overturn

1 of 2

verb

over·​turn ˌō-vər-ˈtərn How to pronounce overturn (audio)
overturned; overturning; overturns

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 menOscar Handlin
b
: reverse sense 2a
overturn a court ruling

intransitive verb

: upset, turn over
The car went off the road and overturned several times.

overturn

2 of 2

noun

over·​turn ˈō-vər-ˌtərn How to pronounce overturn (audio)
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

Examples of overturn in a Sentence

Verb The dog overturned the bowl. The truck went off the road and overturned several times. The court overturned his conviction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
But in April, the state’s Court of Appeals, which has a Republican majority, issued a three-sentence decision overturning the lower court’s ruling without hearing oral arguments. Doug Bock Clark, ProPublica, 16 May 2025 Migrant rights advocates and legal practitioners have objected to this reasoning, citing serious deficiencies in the immigration ministry and the high rate of rejections overturned on appeal. Frey Lindsay, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
This impressive foundation was built through a process called gravitational overturn, a slow-motion geological ballet that predates plate tectonics by hundreds of millions of years. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 To him, the Platte County Commission’s unanimous vote was not an overturn or override of the voters in Platte because the statute has given the commission the authority to make the final decision. Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for overturn

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overturn was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Overturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overturn. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

overturn

verb
over·​turn
ˌō-vər-ˈtərn
1
: to turn over or upside down
waves overturned the boat
2
a
: invalidate, destroy
overturn the group's unity
b
: reverse entry 2 sense 2a
overturn the court's ruling
overturn
ˈō-vər-ˌtərn
noun

Legal Definition

overturn

transitive verb
over·​turn

More from Merriam-Webster on overturn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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