turn (something) upside down

idiom

1
: to turn (something) so that the top is at the bottom and the bottom is at the top
To remove the plant, turn the pot upside down and tap gently on the bottom to loosen it.
2
informal : to make (something) very untidy
I turned the room upside down looking for my car keys.
The house was turned upside down while the renovations were underway.
often used figuratively
His whole world was turned upside down when his mother died.

Dictionary Entries Near turn (something) upside down

Cite this Entry

“Turn (something) upside down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20%28something%29%20upside%20down. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


A Good Old-Fashioned Quiz

Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY