capsize

American  

[kap-sahyz, kap-sahyz] / ˈkæp saɪz, kæpˈsaɪz /

verb (used with or without object)

capsized, capsizing

1. to turn bottom up; overturn: With a strong kick he capsized the stool.

   The ferry capsized and sank in minutes.

   With a strong kick he capsized the stool.

2. to upset or collapse: He has a secret that could capsize his career.

   Their marriage almost capsized when they lost their only child.

   He has a secret that could capsize his career.

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capsize British  

/ kæpˈsaɪz /

verb

1. to overturn accidentally; upset

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Related Words

See upset.

Other Word Forms

• capsizable adjective
• capsizal noun
• noncapsizable adjective
• uncapsizable adjective
• uncapsized adjective

Etymology

Origin of capsize

First recorded in 1780–90; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

In the high north, they pose an additional threat: Sea spray carried at high wind speeds can freeze upon contact with a ship and, if allowed to build up, capsize it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Before the U.S. military strikes, he said, his main concerns were capsizing, drowning and arrest.

From The Wall Street Journal

Eleven members of his family - including his wife and four children - were among 22 people who died after a packed tourist boat capsized here.

From BBC

At least 22 people, many of them children, died in the Indian state of Kerala when a tourist boat capsized.

From New York Times

Few witnesses to this meteoric rise could have foreseen that the “boogeyman” he spoke of was so close around the corner, sending shock waves through the industry and potentially capsizing a promising career.

From Los Angeles Times