U-turn

noun

ˈyü-ˌtərn 

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

Synonyms of U-turn

• reversal
• change of heart

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

According to police, the vehicle that hit the woman made a U-turn at County Road 4840, then fled southbound on Highway 287. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2026

For months, Riyadh maintained a veneer of business as usual despite the war, but this has become harder to sustain with the city postponing events, from tennis tournaments to conferences, and now doing a U-turn on schools. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Pakistan in recent years has taken a U-turn on cryptocurrency, opting to regulate digital assets instead of outright banning them. — Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026

The vehicle soon made a U-turn and traveled back eastbound on Northwest Belvidere. — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for U-turn

• adjourn
• concern
• decern
• discern
• downturn
• extern
• heartburn
• interne
• nocturne
• return
• sunburn
• unworn