# overturn

Pronunciation: US say "oh-ver-TURN" /ˌoʊvɚˈtɝn/; UK say "oh-vuh-TURN" /ˌəʊvəˈtɜːn/

## Verb

1. To turn something over, capsize, or upset it so it falls onto its side or rests upside down.
   - Simple: To tip something over so it falls onto its side or lands upside down.
   - _Strong winds can overturn lightweight canoes out on the lake._
   - _The truck overturned on the icy bend, scattering its cargo across the road._
2. To reverse a previous decision, or to overrule or rescind it.
   - Simple: To officially change or cancel an earlier decision so it no longer counts.
   - _The appeals court overturned the conviction after new evidence emerged._
   - _Higher judges can overturn a verdict they consider deeply flawed._
3. To overthrow or bring to ruin an established power or order.
   - Simple: To bring down a government or system and put an end to it.
   - _The revolution overturned centuries of monarchic rule._
   - _Conspirators plotted to overturn the republic and seize power for themselves._
6. To lessen the importance of a previous defeat by winning; to make a comeback from that loss.
   - Simple: To make up for an earlier loss by winning later.
   - _They overturned a humiliating first-round loss with a commanding win._
   - _A strong second half can overturn a poor start to the season._
7. Of a lake, to undergo a limnic eruption in which dissolved gas suddenly erupts from the deep water.
   - Simple: Of a lake, to suddenly let go of gas that has built up deep underwater.
   - _Volcanic crater lakes can overturn when enough carbon dioxide accumulates in the depths._
   - _Lake Nyos overturned in 1986, suffocating people for miles around._

## Noun

Pronunciation: US say "OH-vur-turn" /ˈoʊvɚˌtɝn/; UK say "OH-vuh-turn" /ˈəʊvəˌtɜːn/

4. A turning over or flipping into an upside-down position; an inversion.
   - Simple: The act of turning something over so it ends up upside down.
   - _The overturn of the vessel happened in a matter of seconds._
   - _Geologists studied the overturn of the rock layers along the fault line._
5. The overthrow or downfall of some institution or state of affairs; ruin.
   - Simple: The downfall or complete destruction of a system, group, or way of life.
   - _The revolution brought about the overturn of the monarchy._
   - _Years of economic collapse led to the overturn of the established order._

## Origin

From Middle English overturnen, equivalent to over- combined with turn.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/overturn (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).