Meaning & use
invert
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To turn something upside down or reverse its position.
Grammar: Takes an object: invert the container. Often used in passive: the container was inverted.
Patterns
- invert something
- invert a container
Carefully invert the cake onto a plate so the bottom becomes the top.
The image was inverted, so everything appeared upside down.
Invert the bottle and squeeze gently to release the sauce.
verbtransitive
To change the order, position, or relationship of things to the opposite.
Grammar: Takes an object: invert the order. Often used with abstract nouns like order, sequence, or relationship.
Patterns
- invert the order
- invert the relationship
The new manager decided to invert the traditional hierarchy.
If you invert the word order, the sentence becomes a question.
The study found that the roles were inverted in that culture.
verbtransitivetechnical
To turn something inward or inside out.
Grammar: Takes an object: invert the eyelid. Common in medical or technical contexts.
Patterns
- invert something
The doctor gently inverted the eyelid to check for any foreign objects.
Some animals can invert their stomachs as a defense mechanism.
Word forms
| third person singular | inverts |
|---|---|
| past tense | inverted |
| past participle | inverted |
| -ing form | inverting |
Common combinations
- invert the order
- The teacher asked us to invert the order of the sentences.
- invert the image
- You can invert the image to see the negative.
- invert a binary tree
- In computer science, one common interview question is to invert a binary tree.
- inverted commas
- In British English, quotation marks are often called inverted commas.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reverse
- Focuses on changing to the opposite direction or order; often used for decisions or processes.
- flip
- More informal and often suggests a quick or sudden turn; used for physical objects like pancakes.
- upset
- Means to overturn or capsize; usually for boats or plans, not for abstract order.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: invert or convert?
invert vs convert
Convert means to change into a different form or use, while invert means to turn upside down or reverse order.
Practice
To make the sentence negative, you need to ______ the subject and the auxiliary verb.
Choose one answer.
Invert means to reverse the order, which is what happens in subject-auxiliary inversion. Convert means to change form, revert means to return, and avert means to prevent.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “invert”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.