over·turn
ˌō-vər-ˈtərn 
overturned; overturning; overturns
1
: to cause to turn over : upset
overturned the vase
2
a
: invalidate, destroy
the degree to which accident could overturn the schemes of wise men—
Oscar Handlin
Oscar Handlin
b
: reverse sense 2a
overturn a court ruling
over·turn
ˈō-vər-ˌtərn
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
Examples of overturn in a Sentence
Verb
The dog overturned the bowl.
The truck went off the road and overturned several times.
The court overturned his conviction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.
—Luc Cohen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
To him, the Platte County Commission’s unanimous vote was not an overturn or override of the voters in Platte because the statute has given the commission the authority to make the final decision.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overturn
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Verb
Still to be determined is Vessel’s plan in Glastonbury; the town rejected it, and Vessel won a Superior Court lawsuit to overturn that decision.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.
—Luc Cohen, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
To him, the Platte County Commission’s unanimous vote was not an overturn or override of the voters in Platte because the statute has given the commission the authority to make the final decision.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
To him, the Platte County Commission’s unanimous vote was not an overturn or override of the voters in Platte because the statute has given the commission the authority to make the final decision.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overturn
Cite this Entry
“Overturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overturn. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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