ENGLISH
REFERENCE

turn on its head

idiom
Meaning

To turn upside-down; to invert.


Examples
SIMPLE

The new evidence turned the whole case on its head.

CONTEXTUAL

The sudden discovery of the hidden documents turned our entire project on its head, forcing us to start over.

COMPLEX

The revolutionary scientific findings turned traditional theories on their head, challenging everything experts previously understood about the subject.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  2. 02

    bang some heads together

    Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.

  3. 03

    bash someone's head

    To beat up someone violently.

  4. 04

    big head

    An inflated ego, an exaggerated belief in one's own importance.

  5. 05

    bite someone's head off

    To severely berate someone.

  6. 06

    blow someone's head off

    To shoot someone in the head.

  7. 07

    Buggins's turn

    A humorous, disparaging term for the appointment of a person by rotation or promotion, on the basis of length of service (it being that person's "turn") rather than merit or level of qualification.

  8. 08

    bury one's head in the sand

    To deliberately ignore the reality of a situation; to pretend a problem does not exist.

Last updated April 17, 2026