turn upside down

[/tɜːrn ˌʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn/]

verb phrase

virar de ponta-cabeça / virar do avesso

1. To flip something so that the top becomes the bottom; to invert the position of something

He turned the box upside down to empty its contents.

Ele virou a caixa de ponta-cabeça para esvaziar seu conteúdo.

2. To cause complete disorder or disruption; to thoroughly disrupt or change something

The scandal turned the company upside down.

O escândalo virou a empresa do avesso.

3. To search thoroughly through something

She turned the house upside down looking for her keys.

Ela revirou a casa inteira procurando suas chaves.

NYC Slang

flip it / turn it upside down (standard usage, no distinct NYC slang variant)

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

virar de ponta-cabeça / virar do avesso

Most common usage in Brazil for both literal and figurative meanings

São Paulo

virar de cabeça para baixo / revirar

Also used with 'revirar' for searching through something

Rio de Janeiro

virar de ponta-cabeça / virando tudo

Informal usage common in speech

Portugal

virar do avesso / pôr tudo de pernas para o ar

Portuguese variant more idiomatic with 'pôr de pernas para o ar' for disruption

turn the world upside down

turn someone's life upside down

turn everything upside down

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