overturn
verb
over·turn
| \ ˌō-vər-ˈtərn
\
\
overturned;
overturning;
overturns
Definition of overturn
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to cause to turn over : upset
overturned the vase
2a
: invalidate, destroy
the degree to which accident could overturn the schemes of wise men— Oscar Handlin
b
: reverse sense 2a
overturn a court ruling
overturn
noun
over·turn
| \ ˈō-vər-ˌtərn
\
\
Definition of overturn (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: the act of overturning : the state of being overturned
2
: the sinking of surface water and rise of bottom water in a lake or sea that results from changes in temperature that commonly occur in spring and fall
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Examples of overturn in a Sentence
Verb
The dog overturned the bowl. The truck went off the road and overturned several times.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Fix the City’s lawsuit seeks to overturn the city’s recent approval of a seven-story, 120-unit residential building on Santa Monica Boulevard just west of Century City that relied on the city’s looser planning rules. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, "It’s seen as one of L.A.'s most successful housing programs. A lawsuit seeks to strike it down," 4 Sep. 2019 Woods' initial conviction in 1980 was overturned by Nevada's Supreme Court. — NBC News, "Nevada woman cleared of murder after 35 years in prison gets $3 million," 29 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overturn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for overturn
overturn
verb
English Language Learners Definition of overturn
: to turn (something) over
: to turn over
: to decide that (a ruling, decision, etc.) is wrong and change it
See the full definition for overturn in the English Language Learners Dictionary
overturn
verb
over·turn
| \ ˌō-vər-ˈtərn
\
\
overturned;
overturning
Kids Definition of overturn
1
: to turn over or upside down
Waves overturned the boat.
2
: to reverse or cancel something previously decided or ordered
The judge overturned the lower court's ruling.
overturn
transitive verb
over·turn
Legal Definition of overturn
: overrule