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
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
If nothing else, the decision, revealed by the Raiders on their X account and yet to be explained publicly by anyone associated with the Ravens, has triggered plenty of skepticism around the league, and that only grew with Baltimore’s quick about-face to Hendrickson.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Collegiate Consulting then did an about-face on social media, posting to X the following morning that the firm stood by its original figures.
—Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The move marks an about-face for the government.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Noun
The Justice Department’s about-face revealed a major fracture in antitrust enforcement.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
If nothing else, the decision, revealed by the Raiders on their X account and yet to be explained publicly by anyone associated with the Ravens, has triggered plenty of skepticism around the league, and that only grew with Baltimore’s quick about-face to Hendrickson.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Collegiate Consulting then did an about-face on social media, posting to X the following morning that the firm stood by its original figures.
—Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 8 Mar. 2026
The move marks an about-face for the government.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for about-face
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-face
Noun
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The sudden reversal of fortunes comes as Jansa has been battling accusations of hiring an Israeli private intelligence company to sway the result following a series of video recordings reporting corruption among the prime minister's allies.—
Jan Bratanic Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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Unlike states that never allowed changes to gender markers, Kansas’ move is a striking reversal of its prior permissive policy.—
Darren Rosenblum,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Huskers took a brief pause from their doldrums to summon up a home win against Minnesota only to revert back to losing, dropping four more in a row.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 Mar. 2026
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That decision was reversed last year, when Zaslav and Bloys decided to revert back to the HBO Max name to highlight the strength of HBO’s programming.—
Alex Sherman,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The former Uchiko and Counter 357 chef pivoted his career away from fine dining to focus on modern African American cooking with his Distant Relatives, a smoke shack and grill that traces the foodways of the African diaspora.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
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Lamborghini also saw a dip in operating income as a result of negative exchange rates and the decision to pivot away from a fully electric Lanzador in favor of a plug-in hybrid model instead, Winkelmann said.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 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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Whatever the legal arguments, nothing is stopping all supervisors from giving their extra salary to charity (as Chaffee and Sarmiento announced following public blowback) and rescinding the raises for future board members.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
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But five have since rescinded the asylum offers and returned to Iran.—
Yarden Segev,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The changes will close much of the park, including the Greek Theater, Central Promenade, and South Plaza of Civic Center, where big festivals often set up stages and vendors line the curving sidewalks.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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The sculptural creation hung from her neck like a necklace, before curving over her chest.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has criticized mail in ballots for years and used it as a centerpiece of his efforts to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
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The president has criticized mail-in ballots for years and used it as a centerpiece of his efforts to overturn his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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String player Matt Worley often stole the spotlight, making his banjo sound like a mandolin, while cellist Barney Morse-Brown ably covered the bass role, plucking the strings more often than bowing them.—
Thor Christensen,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
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The pic bowed at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, earning strong reviews for Greengrass and its star Matthew McConaughey.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“About-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-face. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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