over·turn
ˌō-vər-ˈtərn 
overturned; overturning; overturns
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
Oscar Handlin
b
: reverse sense 2a
overturn a court ruling
over·turn
ˈō-vər-ˌtərn
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
Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Each teams gets two challenges and retains their challenges if a call is overturned.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
The Subaru then slowed to a stop due to traffic and was rear-ended by the Nissan, which was hit by a big rig towing a trailer filled with cardboard, causing the big rig to overturn, officers said.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overturn
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Verb
Prosecutors are asking the 4th District Court of Appeal to overturn Rodriguez’s ruling to vacate his sentence.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
Each teams gets two challenges and retains their challenges if a call is overturned.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 23 Feb. 2026
Noun
At the end of spring training last year, MLB revealed that pitchers’ challenges were only successful 41% of the time, while catchers had a 56% overturn rate.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
The Subaru then slowed to a stop due to traffic and was rear-ended by the Nissan, which was hit by a big rig towing a trailer filled with cardboard, causing the big rig to overturn, officers said.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overturn
Cite this Entry
“Overturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overturn. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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