as in reversal
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
more than one London newspaper accused the prime minister of doing an about-turn on the issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of about-turn
Under Leahy’s watch, Glossier launched at Sephora in February 2023, marking an about-turn from its prior DTC strategy and adopting a more traditional retail playbook.
—
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Also on March 10, a federal judge ruled that the department is required to make its records public, an about-turn for the agency that has been mired in secrecy, according to Forbes.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
The announcement is a dramatic about-turn for a Republican president.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Trent makes an about-turn and decides to follow the light.
—Vulture, 22 Mar. 2023
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Also on March 10, a federal judge ruled that the department is required to make its records public, an about-turn for the agency that has been mired in secrecy, according to Forbes.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
The announcement is a dramatic about-turn for a Republican president.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Trent makes an about-turn and decides to follow the light.
—Vulture, 22 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-turn
Noun
-
The license revocations had marked a broader policy reversal, as Washington responded to what officials described as Nicolás Maduro’s failure to uphold commitments tied to democratic reforms and migration cooperation.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 July 2025
-
Coenraads served as research director for seven years and demonstrated the first global reversal of symptoms in preclinical models in 2007.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.—
London Business School,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“About-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-turn. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share