English Reference
Idiom idiom

turn upside down


To thoroughly examine.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I turned my room upside down looking for my keys.

CONTEXTUAL

The police turned the apartment upside down searching for evidence of the crime.

COMPLEX

The investigators turned the entire archive upside down, hoping to uncover the forgotten documents that would finally explain the mystery.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    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.

  2. 02

    everything one touches turns to gold

    Everything someone uses or does succeeds or becomes better.

  3. 03

    everything one touches turns to shit

    Everything someone uses or does fails or becomes worse.

  4. 04

    fuck someone upside down

    To give someone a bad scolding.

  5. 05

    good turn

    A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.

  6. 06

    left turn

    An unexpected change from the way things seemed to be going.

  7. 07

    poacher turned gamekeeper

    A person now charged with protecting what they formerly preyed upon.

  8. 08

    serve the turn

    To suffice for one's immediate purpose or need.

Last updated August 10, 2026