OVERTURN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does overturn mean? 

• OVERTURN (noun)
  The noun OVERTURN has 2 senses:

1. the act of upsetting something

2. an improbable and unexpected victory

  Familiarity information: OVERTURN used as a noun is rare.

• OVERTURN (verb)
  The verb OVERTURN has 6 senses:

1. turn from an upright or normal position

2. cause to overturn from an upright or normal position

3. rule against

4. cause the downfall of; of rulers

5. cancel officially

6. change radically

  Familiarity information: OVERTURN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OVERTURN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of upsetting something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

overturn; turnover; upset

Context example:

he was badly bruised by the upset of his sled at a high speed

Hypernyms ("overturn" is a kind of...):

inversion; upending (turning upside down; setting on end)

Derivation:

overturn (turn from an upright or normal position)

overturn (cause to overturn from an upright or normal position)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An improbable and unexpected victory

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

overturn; upset

Context example:

the biggest upset since David beat Goliath

Hypernyms ("overturn" is a kind of...):

success (an attainment that is successful)

• OVERTURN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they overturn    ... he / she / it overturns   
Past simple: overturned   
Past participle: overturned   
-ing form: overturning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Turn from an upright or normal position

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over

Context example:

The canoe tumped over

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Verb group:

bowl over; knock over; overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over; upset (cause to overturn from an upright or normal position)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overturn"):

capsize; turn turtle; turtle (overturn accidentally)

upend (become turned or set on end)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

These cars won't overturn

Derivation:

overturn (the act of upsetting something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause to overturn from an upright or normal position

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

bowl over; knock over; overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over; upset

Context example:

he tumped over his beer

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Cause:

overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over (turn from an upright or normal position)

Verb group:

overturn; tip over; tump over; turn over (turn from an upright or normal position)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

overturn (the act of upsetting something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Rule against

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

override; overrule; overthrow; overturn; reverse

Context example:

The Republicans were overruled when the House voted on the bill

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

decree; rule (decide with authority)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Cause the downfall of; of rulers

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

bring down; overthrow; overturn; subvert

Context example:

subvert the ruling class

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

depose; force out (force to leave (an office))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overturn"):

revolutionize (overthrow by a revolution, of governments)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Cancel officially

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

annul; countermand; lift; overturn; repeal; rescind; reverse; revoke; vacate

Context example:

vacate a death sentence

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

cancel; strike down (declare null and void; make ineffective)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overturn"):

go back on; renege; renege on; renegue on (fail to fulfill a promise or obligation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Change radically

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

overturn; revolutionise; revolutionize

Context example:

E-mail revolutionized communication in academe

Hypernyms (to "overturn" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

I WON'T confine myself to four—eight, sixteen, two-and-thirty, rather than say anything calculated to overturn the Doctor's plans.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The scientists' analysis reveals that when the surface ocean is especially salty, as it was throughout 2016, strong winter storms can set off an overturning circulation.

(Data from robotic drifters explain mysterious holes in Antarctic sea ice, National Science Foundation)

She threw her weight against the barrel, but it did not overturn.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

All the boy knew was that he had in some unaccountable way been overturned into the snow, and that his club-hand had been ripped wide open by White Fang's teeth.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

There never was such an overturn in this world.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

This has now been overturned by the new study, at least in the specific circumstances of the Amazon.

(Tiny pollutants intensify storms in the Amazon, SciDev.Net)

Neither robbers nor tempests befriended them, nor one lucky overturn to introduce them to the hero.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

As to the Admiralty—it is buzzing like an overturned bee-hive.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Three days after my arrival, walking out of curiosity to the north-east coast of the island, I observed, about half a league off in the sea, somewhat that looked like a boat overturned.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

I had strayed forward where the sailors were painting, and I came to myself to find my advancing foot on the verge of overturning a paint-pot.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)