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to flip over

to flip over

41 2.5
Turn something so the side that was up is now down
  • phrasal verb
  • /flɪp ˈoʊvər/
translation icon : dar la vuelta a
  • To cook the pancake evenly, you need to flip over the pancake after a few minutes.

Very, very nice jokes and I'm going to flip this over to the spoolie side.

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Examples

  • You gotta flip it over.

  • OK, let's flip the brush over and now let's blend this in.

  • Because if you flip the record over, we make the rules.

  • Take it home, flip it over and sleep for eight hours.

  • All right, now I can flip this over and just attach the top pieces.

  • But our game only flips the cards over when we tap on them.

  • You click on cards and they flip over and you're just trying to match them.

  • Once you see that they're nice and golden, you want to flip them over just like that.

  • You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back.

  • You don't have to worry about it burning up this way, just flip it over after a minute.

Synonyms

to flip
vsto flip over
354 1.8

To turn or toss something quickly with a light hand movement

is a rapid reversal of which side faces up rather than a slow turn
to turn over
vsto flip over
31 2.6

Flip something so the other side faces up

focuses more on a quick reversal of up versus down sides
to overturn
vsto flip over
30 4.1

Make something flip so it is upside down or on its side

emphasizes a swift flip to reverse top and bottom rather than gradual turning
to roll over
vsto flip over
30 1.4

To turn your body or an object so the other side faces up

is about a quick reversal rather than a rolling motion
to invert
vsto flip over
28 4.8

Turn something upside down, inside out, or change its usual order

is specifically about a quick change of which side faces up
to tip over
vsto flip over
27 3.0

Make something fall from a standing position

is about a quick purposeful reversal rather than causing a fall
to upturn
vsto flip over
1 4.5

To turn something so its bottom faces up

is about reversing the up side quickly rather than focusing on bottom becoming top
to flippin
vsto flip over
  • Informal
1 8.8

Turn something over quickly, for example a pancake or page

is the standard expression for the same quick reversal
to tump over
vsto flip over
  • UK
8.2

To make something that stands fall over

is a quicker, controlled reversal of which side faces up rather than an accidental fall

Antonyms

to stay put
  • Informal
133 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

Keep something or someone in place and still

How Quickly

to overturn
30 4.1
to flip over
41 2.5
to turn over
31 2.6
to roll over
30 1.4
to tilt
147 2.0

Surface Forms

flip over infinitive
flipped over past participle
flipping over present participle
flips over third person singular

Morphology

flip + over

The verb 'flip' (to turn or toss quickly) combined with the particle 'over' (to the other side) yields the meaning of reversing orientation directly from the constituents. This verb + particle composition that indicates changing orientation is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb flip over comes from the image of quickly turning something so the side that was up is put face down, like when you flip a pancake over to cook the other side. That's why it means 'to turn something so the side that was up is now down'.