overturned

Everyday

1. Overturned means turned upside down or onto its side: an overturned boat. tree →
2. An overturned decision or result has been changed or cancelled by someone with more authority. tree →

In the lessons

In news and safety it describes crashes: an overturned car or lorry on the road. In stories it describes a messy scene (overturned chairs). In law and sport a decision overturned by a court or video replay is changed.

Examples

• An overturned truck blocked the motorway. tree →
• The boat overturned in the storm. tree →
• There were overturned chairs everywhere after the party. tree →
• The referee's decision was overturned after the replay. tree →
• The cat overturned the plant pot. tree →
• Stay with an overturned boat and hold on. tree →
• The court overturned the ruling. tree →
• We found an overturned bucket in the garden. tree →
• The sea was rough and the whitecaps overturned the boat. tree →

Note

Regular verb: overturn, overturned. Safety: if a canoe overturns, stay calm and hold on to the boat. Synonym for things: capsized (boats), tipped over. For decisions: reversed.