upside down
Americanadverb
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with the upper part undermost.
-
in or into complete disorder; topsy-turvy.
The burglars turned the house upside down.
adjective
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(usually postpositive; upside-down when prenominal) turned over completely; inverted
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informal (upside-down when prenominal) confused; muddled; topsy-turvy
an upside-down world
adverb
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in an inverted fashion
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in a chaotic or crazy manner
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of upside down
1300–50; re-formation ( see upside) of Middle English upsedoun, earlier up so doun ( see up, so 1, down 1; sense of so obscure)
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.
The car had flipped during the crash, leaving most of the vehicle upside down and underwater, according to a photo shared from the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Turn a tire upside down or on its side, and the water will flow within it to whatever section is now at the bottom.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
She said news that she had stage four alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in September 2015 turned her life upside down.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
A bricklayer who coaches eight-to-12-year-olds, Cordero is using the football fever whipped up by the World Cup to try to bring a little joy to children whose lives were turned upside down by the disaster.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Everything in my world is still upside down!
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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.
