turn turtle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Of course I may be struck by lightning tomorrow, or the car may turn turtle when we go down to be married, but I refuse to contemplate anything of the sort.

From Black Oxen by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn

Being almost hove short, the ship could not rise quickly enough to the seas, and was besides rolling so much that she threatened to turn turtle every minute.

From A Modern Buccaneer by Boldrewood, Rolf

The San Martin, losing steerage way, was rolling horribly in the trough of the sea; any instant she might turn turtle.

From The Nameless Island A Story of some Modern Robinson Crusoes by Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)

The warning came none too soon, for a gust of wind hit the biplane and all but made it "turn turtle," as the saying goes.

From The Rover Boys in the Air From College Campus to the Clouds by Stratemeyer, Edward

Our machinery might break down, we might drift for weeks without being sighted, we might collide with an iceberg in the fog, we might even turn turtle.

From By Right of Conquest A Novel by Hornblow, Arthur