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
Thrown right into the fire after getting the call-up from Triple-A Syracuse, Kranick saw the game turn upside down after Danny Jansen capped the six-run frame with with a two-run homer that made the score 7-5.
—
Fiifi Frimpong, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
Kranick, who was thrown right into the fire after getting the call-up from Triple-A Syracuse, saw the game turn upside down after Danny Jansen capped the six-run frame with with a two-run home run that made the score 7-5.
Holmes had allowed just three hits while walking two and striking out three.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
In 2022, however, the financial market seemed to turn upside down.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 May 2025
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 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turn (something) upside down
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Fiifi Frimpong, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 June 2025
Kranick, who was thrown right into the fire after getting the call-up from Triple-A Syracuse, saw the game turn upside down after Danny Jansen capped the six-run frame with with a two-run home run that made the score 7-5.
Holmes had allowed just three hits while walking two and striking out three.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 June 2025
In 2022, however, the financial market seemed to turn upside down.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 May 2025
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 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 27 Jun. 2025.
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