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

an abrupt U-turn of her support for the candidate after hearing the news of his misdeeds
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.
Back in ‘96 in Vegas, after shots were fired, Knight — bleeding from his scalp — made a frantic U-turn and headed west at a high speed toward Las Vegas Boulevard. Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025 People were a bit allergic to the new direction last time, but a sonic U-turn is a concession, a place where pragmatism does outweigh whim. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 27 June 2025 Carl Court | Getty Images News | Getty Images Her climbdown on denying millions of pensioners the winter fuel allowance was not the only U-turn announced by Rachel Reeves, the U.K.'s chancellor of the Exchequer, this month. Ian King, CNBC, 18 June 2025 The march toward electric cars in the United States took a U-turn in May when the Senate voted to revoke California’s electric vehicle mandate. Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for U-turn

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“U-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/U-turn. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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