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ribaltare

to overturn

verb ree-bahl-TAH-reh Rare
Travel & Places Movement

Origin: From 're-' (again) + 'baltare', dialectal for 'to toss', of Germanic origin.

Also means

to reverse

Usage Note

Ribaltare takes avere in compound tenses when transitive: ha ribaltato la decisione (he overturned the decision). When used intransitively to mean a vehicle tips over, it takes essere: la macchina si è ribaltata. The reflexive ribaltarsi is the standard form for 'to tip over' on its own. Figuratively it is common in political language for overturning verdicts or election results.

Examples

"Il vento ha ribaltato la barca."

Natural Translation

The wind overturned the boat.

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