capsize

verb

cap·​size ˈkap-ˌsīz 

kap-ˈsīz

capsized; capsizing

transitive verb

: to cause to overturn

capsize a canoe

intransitive verb

: to become upset or overturned : turn over

the canoe capsized

capsize noun

Synonyms

• overturn
• turn over
• upset

Examples of capsize in a Sentence

They were fooling around and accidentally capsized the canoe.

a huge wave out of nowhere caused our little sailboat to capsize

Recent Examples on the Web

One person died and another was missing Monday after a boat capsized near Bodega Head in Sonoma County. —Bay City News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Two people have been confirmed dead and several more are missing after two separate boats capsized in the past few days off Northern California’s Bodega Bay amid increasingly dangerous winds. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Large breaking waves can cause injury, wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats near shore. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

This can be a treacherous one — in August 2023, a boat en route to Pinang from the nearby surfing hot spot of Nias Island capsized during a storm. —Marylou Costa, Contributor, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Spanish capuzar or Catalan cabussar to thrust (the head) underwater

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

capsize

verb

cap·​size ˈkap-ˌsīz 

kap-ˈsīz

capsized; capsizing

: to become or cause to become upset or overturned : turn over

canoes capsize easily