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
David Westin, Bloomberg, 24 Jan. 2026
His about-face was so abrupt, and so unaccounted for, that senior officials in Europe are scratching their heads about what, exactly, changed his mind.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Despite the president’s about-face on European tariffs, EU foreign policy head Kaja Kallas said there was much to hash out.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
The about-face is a welcome surprise.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Noun
Trump made an about-face on tariffs this week.
—David Westin, Bloomberg, 24 Jan. 2026
His about-face was so abrupt, and so unaccounted for, that senior officials in Europe are scratching their heads about what, exactly, changed his mind.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Despite the president’s about-face on European tariffs, EU foreign policy head Kaja Kallas said there was much to hash out.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Jan. 2026
The about-face is a welcome surprise.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-face
Noun
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Lyft launched Lyft Teen on Monday, a feature that allows 13- to 17-year-olds to hail rides on the app, a reversal of the company’s policy requiring adult supervision for minors.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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And former President Joe Biden made naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, available over the counter.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Contingency plans are in place should the security situation deteriorate, which may necessitate reverting individual sailings or the wider structural change of the service back to the Cape of Good Hope route, Maersk said.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Feb. 2026
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In truth, Johnson’s lack of meaningful contribution to date may now prompt Palace to revert back to that way of operating in future.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Heat was among the team aggressively pursuing Antetokounmpo ahead of the trade deadline, but now Miami will need to pivot to its backup plan.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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So Lawhive pivoted and decided to become a law firm itself, Proner said.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This volte-face was not just about electoral politics.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
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The Kremlin has denied any such request was made, which tells you something about how Moscow views the optics of this diplomatic volte-face.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Amid this tension, Mayor Mamdani faces backlash for rescinding the city's formal antisemitism definition.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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Boring Company’s president, Steve Davis, had called the Governor’s Office about the citations and set up that meeting, and the citations were rescinded at the onset of the meeting.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The path begins in Siberia, curves around the North Pole past Greenland and Iceland, then crosses Spain before ending in the Mediterranean sunset.—
Ryan Craggs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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Some of them were curved like a hook.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the verdict in 2024 and remanded it back to the lower court for a new trial.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
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The Wednesday ruling overturns much of that opinion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Vertical has acquired the North American rights to The Wizard of the Kremlin, director Olivier Assayas’ political thriller that bowed in Venice.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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That includes strong women, especially women of color, and anyone else who doesn’t bow to him.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“About-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-face. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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