upside down
Americanadverb
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with the upper part undermost.
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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.
It used a downforce-generating fan system to remain stuck upside down, and then blasted free, flipped—this was the flying part—and touched down amid a cloud of compressed air.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
Humans, for instance, can drink through a straw while upside down and still breathe.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
The Ortiz family’s life has been flipped upside down since the head of the household was detained.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
A maintenance worker whose life was "turned upside down" when he fell 30ft from a power line and was left paralysed has won at least £10m in compensation.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
My sister grabs a sneaker and shakes it upside down until a folded postcard tumbles out.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
