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

Guided by road signs and barricades, the protesters made a U-turn around the Capitol and returned to the intersection where the festivities began. —Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Early Friday morning, data from the MarineTraffic website showed that two ultra-large container ships owned by China's biggest shipping company, COSCO, made a sharp U-turn after apparently trying to sail past Iran's Larak Island. —Ramy Inocencio, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

South Africa walked back earlier complaints that Washington pressured France to rescind its invitation to attend June’s G7 summit, a U-turn that may defuse a diplomatic row. —Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026

The letter marked a U-turn by Lincoln. —Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 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