1
: a turn resembling the letter U
especially : a 180-degree turn made by a vehicle in a road
2
: something (such as a reversal of policy) resembling a U-turn

Examples of U-turn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The driver then took a U-turn before taking a hard right and driving through the building's front office, Reese said. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024 Pierce tried to make a U-turn from eastbound to westbound at Northwest 28th Street and Chestnut Avenue. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2024 Sweatt then made a U-turn at a high rate of speed and struck the victim in the road. Marc Fortier, NBC News, 8 Apr. 2024 Erdogan made an abrupt U-turn in economic policy after his triumph in a national election last year, resulting in aggressive interest rate hikes to rein in inflation expectations that soared under his years-long unorthodox policy stance. Reuters, NBC News, 1 Apr. 2024 The man made a U-turn in a cul-de-sac and then started driving toward one of the deputies, according to the sheriff’s department. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024 With the Eric McAllister ahead and the Bridget McAllister astern, the Dali pulled a U-turn away from the Seagirt Marine Terminal and headed toward a pair of navigation buoys marking the channel. USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024 While there might not be a sign preventing a U-turn at a stop sign, California law says drivers can only make a U-turn at an intersection with traffic lights. Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 26 Mar. 2024 In the uproar that followed, the constitutional council ruled the delay unlawful, and Mr. Sall performed a U-turn. Ruth MacLean, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'U-turn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of U-turn was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near U-turn

Cite this Entry

“U-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/U-turn. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!