about-face

noun

ə-ˈbau̇t-ˈfās 

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

Synonyms of about-face

• reversal
• volte-face

Examples of about-face in a Sentence

the candidate's frequent about-faces on issues disturbs many voters

Recent Examples on the Web

Overall, the slump in prices of gold models is an about-face from 2025, when those same 13 timepieces saw a 9 percent increase in price. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 10 July 2026

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

And in a dramatic about-face, Folarin Balogun is available to play. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 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

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

Rhymes for about-face

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• commonplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace

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