turn over

turn over idiom
  1. Invert, bring the bottom to the top, as in We have to turn over the soil before we plant anything. [Second half of 1300s]
  2. Shift position, as by rolling from side to side. For example, This bed is so narrow I can barely turn over. [First half of 1700s]
  3. Rotate, cycle, as in The engine turned over but the car wouldn't start. [Early 1900s]
  4. Think about, consider, as in She turned over the idea in her mind. [Early 1800s]
  5. Transfer to another, surrender, as in I turned over the funds to the children. [Mid-1500s]
  6. Do business to the extent or amount of, as in We hoped the company would turn over a million dollars the first year. [Mid-1800s]
  7. Seem to lurch or heave convulsively, as in The plane hit an air pocket and my stomach turned over. [Second half of 1800s]
  8. Replace or renew the constituent parts, as in Half of our staff turns over every few years. [Mid-1900s] Also see turn over a new leaf.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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