turn (something) upside down
idiom
1
: to turn (something) so that the top is at the bottom and the bottom is at the top
To remove the plant, turn the pot upside down and tap gently on the bottom to loosen it.
2
informal
: to make (something) very untidy
I turned the room upside down looking for my car keys.
The house was turned upside down while the renovations were underway.
—often used figurativelyHis whole world was turned upside down when his mother died.
Examples of turn (something) upside down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2022, the financial market seemed to turn upside down.
—
Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
Isabelle Huppert stars as Erika, the titular piano teacher, who starts up an affair with one of her students and then watches her life turn upside down.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2024
Alongside Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy have also joined the film as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
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.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turn (something) upside down 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 11 July 2024
Isabelle Huppert stars as Erika, the titular piano teacher, who starts up an affair with one of her students and then watches her life turn upside down.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2024
Alongside Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker and Bill Nighy have also joined the film as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
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.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turn (something) upside down
Dictionary Entries Near turn (something) upside down
Cite this Entry
“Turn (something) upside down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turn%20%28something%29%20upside%20down. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share