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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of about-turn
And while this about-turn is leading headlines today, the war in Iran continues to cast a shadow over the trip.
—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
The specific reasons behind the about-turns are not clear, as both Iraq and Pakistan had earlier received approvals from Iran to transit the strait.
—
Weilun Soon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
That was only the latest about-turn by the government, which despite enjoying a sizable majority in the House of Commons, has gained a reputation for turning tail whenever Labour backbenchers oppose a policy.
—
Will Standring,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
First, a dramatic about-turn by the United States.
—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
The revelations represent a stunning about-turn in a case for which Azevedo had yet to appear in court to face felony charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency, which could carry up to 20 years on the most serious count.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
The specific reasons behind the about-turns are not clear, as both Iraq and Pakistan had earlier received approvals from Iran to transit the strait.
—
Weilun Soon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
That was only the latest about-turn by the government, which despite enjoying a sizable majority in the House of Commons, has gained a reputation for turning tail whenever Labour backbenchers oppose a policy.
—
Will Standring,
Bloomberg,
14 Jan. 2026
First, a dramatic about-turn by the United States.
—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
The revelations represent a stunning about-turn in a case for which Azevedo had yet to appear in court to face felony charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency, which could carry up to 20 years on the most serious count.
—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-turn
Noun
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Suffering a reversal of fortune, Watson Taylor turned out to be unable to pay for the commission and sold the work in 1821 through Phillips auction house.
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The market experienced a reversal session, with AI leaders and data center infrastructure buildout stocks falling while software and the hyperscalers rebounded.
Noun
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This volte-face was not just about electoral politics.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“About-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-turn. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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