upside down

adverb

up·​side down ˈəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

1

: in such a way that the upper and the lower parts are reversed in position

2

: in or into great disorder

turned their world upside down

upside-down

ˈəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

adjective

Examples of upside down in a Sentence

You hung the picture upside down!

To remove the plant, turn the pot upside down and tap gently on the bottom to loosen it.

The baby was holding the book upside down.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2022, however, the financial market seemed to turn upside down. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 May 2025

Kaster plays a woman coming to terms with the death of her sister, whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of a mysterious man, determined to solve a string of murders committed by a motorcycle-riding killer. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 May 2025

With a few bounces of the ping-pong balls, the entire trajectory of multiple franchises has been turned upside down. —Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Maybe Someday kicks things off with college student Sydney, who finds comfort in her musical neighbor Ridge when her whole life turns upside down. —Maggie Fremont, EW.com, 10 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English up so doun, from up + so + doun down

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for upside down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

upside down

adverb

up·​side down ˌəp-ˌsīd-ˈdau̇n 

1

: with the upper part underneath and the lower part on top

2

: in or into great disorder

upside-down adjective

Legal Definition

upside down

adjective

: underwater

upside down mortgages

upside down homes

upside down homeowners