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invert

/ɪnˈvɜrt/
/ˈɪnvɜrt/
IPA guide

Other forms: inverted; inverts; inverting

When you invert something, you turn it upside down, whether it’s an idea or a test you place face-down on your desk when you are finished.

Invert comes from the Latin word invertere, which means "to turn." For example, you might invert a cake pan, turning it upside down on a plate in order to remove the cake. Or if you have a long-standing belief, say, that cats make bad pets, spending time with a really great cat may make you turn that belief upside down, inverting it. And you might even get a cat of your own!

Definitions of invert
  1. verb
    turn inside out or upside down
    synonyms: reverse, turn back
    see moresee less
    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
  2. verb
    reverse the position, order, relation, or condition of
    “when forming a question, invert the subject and the verb”
    synonyms: reverse
    see moresee less
    type of:
    reorder
    assign a new order to
  3. verb
    make an inversion (in a musical composition)
    “here the theme is inverted
    see moresee less
    type of:
    alter, change, modify
    cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘invert'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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