overturn
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cause (something) to turn onto its side, face, or back; upset.
to overturn a vase.
-
to destroy the power or validity of; overthrow; defeat: The new findings have not overturned the theory itself.
The conspiracy finally overturned the regime.
The new findings have not overturned the theory itself.
- Synonyms:
- conquer
-
to reverse (an official or legal decision).
Rather than accept defeat, the company filed a complaint in federal appeals court to overturn the ruling.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act of overturning.
-
the state of being overturned.
verb
-
to turn or cause to turn from an upright or normal position
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(tr) to overthrow or destroy
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(tr) to invalidate; reverse
the bill was passed in the Commons but overturned in the Lords
noun
Synonym Usage
See upset.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overturnsimple
-
overturnssimple
-
have overturnedperfect
-
has overturnedperfect
-
am overturningprogressive
-
are overturningprogressive
-
is overturningprogressive
-
have been overturningperfect progressive
-
has been overturningperfect progressive
Past
-
overturnedsimple
-
had overturnedperfect
-
was overturningprogressive
-
were overturningprogressive
-
had been overturningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overturn
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; see origin at over-, turn
Explanation
To overturn something is to either flip it upside down or to invalidate it. An amateur kayaker might overturn her boat, while a judge may decide to overturn a previous judgment. When you overturn a wheelbarrow or a tricycle, you literally turn it over. When judges overturn earlier rulings or voters overturn laws, they make them invalid, essentially reversing them. An earlier, more intense metaphorical meaning of this word was "violently overthrow a ruler or rulers." Overturn was originally used in the 13th century to describe a turning wheel.
Vocabulary lists containing overturn
Ban This Book
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This Week In Words: December 5–11, 2020
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5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Exercise is recommended as a primary treatment for hip osteoarthritis, and this review doesn't overturn that," said Michelle Hall, co-lead author from the University of Sydney.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Nowadays, ABS has the ability to overturn incorrect strike calls on pitches that miss by a tenth of an inch, requiring all umpires to conform to the official zone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Eddins’ opinion is consequential on its own terms: It expands protections for criminal defendants by making it easier for them to overturn a conviction obtained through expert testimony that has since been “scientifically discredited.”
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
The European Court of Justice dismissed the US tech giant's second attempt to overturn the penalty imposed by the European Commission in 2018 -- which remains the EU's highest ever antitrust fine.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
He returned to England that summer, hoping to overturn the studies with his analysis, but was struck by pneumonia and died suddenly at home.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The ruling overturns a case that had held sway for 91 years.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
"From the beginning, we knew these bones were exceptional because of their minute size. It is equally impressive how the study of this animal overturns global ideas on ornithopod dinosaur evolution," he says.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 3, 2026
The decision overturns the seizure of Nexperia by Karremans’ ministry from its Chinese owner, Wingtech Technology, late in September.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
The May 27 legal opinion released Tuesday overturns a more than 80-year-old Justice Department determination that presidents can’t revoke national monuments created by their predecessors under the Antiquities Act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025
“There we have an opinion that overturns three hundred and seventy-five years of critical appreciation. Is there a particular reason that you find it ‘stupid’?”
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Her lawyer told AFP that his client was abroad when the expulsion order was issued, adding she will not return to France unless it is suspended or overturned.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Four years ago, that decision was overturned on a 5-4 vote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
And she specifically worked on hundreds of cases involving defendants convicted of firearm-related crimes, fighting to get their convictions overturned or their sentences reduced.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Rubiales was banned from all football-related activities for three years in 2023 and lost an appeal to get it overturned.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
They dashed over to the figure lying supine near an overturned birdbath.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
The appeals court did not rule on the ultimate merits of the case but concluded the administration had not shown it was likely to succeed in overturning the injunction at this stage.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Interior Department finalized the changes to its regulations last week, overturning five decades of precedent in how the law is interpreted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
On face value, overturning Ream's yellow card to book Almiron for diving seemed a sound decision.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
After overturning a 2-1 series deficit, Staal will now lead his team into Sunday’s Game 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights with a chance to clinch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
He sucked in his breath and tried again, and then he bolted up, overturning his chair, turned his back to me, and started to walk out.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
