turn upside down

1. Put in disorder, mix or mess up, as in He turned the whole house upside down looking for his checkbook. This metaphoric phrase transfers literally inverting something so that the upper part becomes the lower (or vice versa) to throwing into disorder or confusion. [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

A claim by Angels lawyer Todd Theodora in a hearing this summer that the plaintiffs were asking for $1 billion was shot down last week by a person in the Skaggs camp who said “we are not asking anywhere remotely close to that. My god, the whole world would turn upside down.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the years since the attack at the Capitol, Mr. Trump and both mainstream and fringe elements of the conservative media have pushed a steady drumbeat of those lies, an effort to turn upside down the narrative of Jan. 6 and undercut the legitimacy of the Biden administration.

Read more on New York Times

“In a split second your world gets turn upside down for no good reason,” the business posted online, saying “great people in this community” were lost.

Read more on Washington Times

"In a split second your world gets turn upside down for no good reason," Schemengees posted on its Facebook page.

Read more on Reuters

Strong winds had lashed the boat, sparking panic among many passengers, who moved to one side of the wooden boat and caused it to turn upside down after its bamboo outriggers broke, the coast guard and police said.

Read more on Seattle Times

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