Synonyms of about-facenext
1
: a 180° turn to the right from the position of attention
2
: a reversal of direction
3
: a reversal of attitude, behavior, or point of view
about-face intransitive verb

Examples of about-face in a Sentence

the candidate's frequent about-faces on issues disturbs many voters
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The sales are an about-face for a company that has staked its business on accumulating, not dumping, Bitcoin. Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 6 July 2026 Thomson’s about-face over the movies might be a surprise, but that a critic of his stature would wrestle with cinema’s enduring value is not. Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026 The about-face felt personal to former parks workers who spent their careers preserving artifacts that have now been deemed too radical for display. Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 26 June 2026 And last fall, the Solovievs did an about-face and declared that the pharmacy, which had been open since the 1920s, would no longer fill prescriptions — leaving the nearest drugstore a ferry ride away. Reeves Wiedeman, Curbed, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for about-face

Word History

Etymology

from the imperative phrase about face, from about entry 1 + face entry 2

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of about-face was in 1835

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“About-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/about-face. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

about-face

noun
ə-ˈbau̇t-ˈfās
1
: a reversal of direction
2
: a reversal of attitude or point of view
about-face verb

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