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.
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 Mindful of the scenes of serious disorder that marred a previous PSG trophy parade in 2013 at the Place du Trocadero, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower, the Parisian authorities were initially minded to reject the club’s request before being persuaded into a U-turn. Tom Williams, New York Times, 2 June 2025 The Accord drove past him, then made a U-turn, a witness told detectives. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 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 1 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!