turn on its head

English

Alternative forms

• flip on its head

Pronunciation

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Verb

turn on its head (third-person singular simple present turns on its head, present participle turning on its head, simple past and past participle turned on its head)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To turn upside-down; to invert.

   The crisis turned the formulas that had seemed to work on their head.

2. (transitive, idiomatic) To completely change.

   The global economic crisis has managed to turn stock exchanges worldwide on their head.

   • 2018 June 17, Barney Ronay, “Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 5 August 2019:

     Germany regeared for the second half: same shape, more control. Mexico had lost some of their vim. And before long the game had turned on its head, with Germany able to keep the ball now, Kroos hitting his range, and Mexico less adept at seizing possession, unable to spring forward with such gusto.

   • 2024 August 29, Alex Mills, “Larne headed for Conference League group stages as Andy Ryan hat-trick secures historic Play-Off joy”, in Belfast Telegraph‎^[2]:

     The tie turned on its head just before the hour when Gallagher picked up his second yellow card of the night following a reckless lunge on Ethan Britto and this time referee Fahndrich angered the home supporters by producing red.