as in reversal
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
the candidate's frequent about-faces on issues disturbs many voters
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Recent Examples of about-face
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2025
Hear a financial planner’s top three tips But even after Trump’s about-face, the reality remains stark: Economists said the economic damage is done, and many say there is still an elevated risk of a US and global recession.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
The reason for this about-face was that Baker’s boss, President George H. W. Bush, had decided that the best way to secure Moscow’s approval of German unification was not to place limits on NATO.
—Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2025
Trump defended his about-face on tariffs as a sign of his flexibility.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Noun
Weekend Update was full of zingers about President Donald Trump‘s rapid about-face in the wake of the stock market crash his global tariffs spurred.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 Apr. 2025
Hear a financial planner’s top three tips But even after Trump’s about-face, the reality remains stark: Economists said the economic damage is done, and many say there is still an elevated risk of a US and global recession.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
The reason for this about-face was that Baker’s boss, President George H. W. Bush, had decided that the best way to secure Moscow’s approval of German unification was not to place limits on NATO.
—Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2025
Trump defended his about-face on tariffs as a sign of his flexibility.
—Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-face
Noun
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In a stunning reversal, that gargantuan mammal had caught me.—
Nina E. Cerfolio,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
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In a major reversal, the federal government is restoring the records of hundreds, and possibly thousands, of international students whose entries in a crucial database the government had abruptly terminated in recent weeks, a move that had complicated their ability to stay in the country.—
Adrian Florido,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Adams started Bad Records a number of years ago as a home for his catalog, much of which has reverted back to him from Universal (which bought PolyGram, which had purchased his original label home, A&M).—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
23 Apr. 2025
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Upon a Time in Hollywood would revert from the studio to Tarantino 30 years after its theatrical release.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When the 2020 pandemic brought the restaurant industry to a screeching halt, Hart and his team pivoted hard.—
Xandra Harbet,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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The administration has appealed, but for now, enrollments are frozen, and existing participants must pivot.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.—
London Business School,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
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The realities of Putin’s momentum, coupled with Washington’s volte-face, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.—
Daryna Mayer,
NBC News,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In response to an Executive Order to review and rescind regulations that are deemed unconstitutional or undermine national interests, the IRS issued IRS Notice 2025-23.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The State Bar of Texas has rescinded an invitation to NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in light of a lawsuit brought against the Trump administration by the civil rights organization.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall.—
Sara Pezeshk,
The Conversation,
16 Apr. 2025
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After completing Slither Housing in 2000, an angular yet gently curved 105-unit apartment building in Japan’s Gifu prefecture, the husband-and-wife team increasingly turned its attentions to cultural architecture.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The case had long been viewed by Palin and other conservatives as a possible vehicle to overturn the 1964 U.S. Supreme Court landmark New York Times v. Sullivan.—
Luc Cohen,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Still to be determined is Vessel’s plan in Glastonbury; the town rejected it, and Vessel won a Superior Court lawsuit to overturn that decision.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Worshippers clad in black bowed their heads in prayer and lit votive candles to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.—
Fatma Khaled,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
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Since Locarno, the film had its North American premiere at the Los Angeles Festival of Movies earlier this month, then bowed on the East Coast at New Directors/New Films.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“About-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-face. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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