Synonyms of about-face

about-face 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈbau̇t-ˈfās 

as in reversal

a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reversal
• volte-face
• change of heart
• turnabout
• turnaround
• about-turn
• flip-flop
• U-turn
• denial
• disavowal
• retraction
• switcheroo
• renunciation
• recantation
• reconsideration
• hesitation
• repudiation
• disaffirmance
• vacillation
• disownment
• second thought
• bait and switch
• indecision
• wavering
• retreat
• irresolution
• wobbling
• shilly-shallying

about-face

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to revert

Related Words

• revert
• rescind
• overturn
• revoke
• countermand
• reverse
• backtrack
• annul
• repeal
• abrogate
• strike down
• switch

Dissimilar Words

• support
• maintain
• uphold

2

as in to pivot

Related Words

• pivot
• curve
• bow
• arc
• sweep
• round
• bend
• loop
• arch
• wheel
• hook
• slew
• circle
• spiral
• turn
• wind
• curl
• twist
• skew
• crook
• swerve
• sheer
• coil
• cut
• deviate
• waver
• veer
• zigzag
• yaw
• break
• stray
• weave
• wander
• zag
• zig

Dissimilar Words

• straighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of about-face

Noun

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

The about-face felt personal to former parks workers who spent their careers preserving artifacts that have now been deemed too radical for display. — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 26 June 2026

And last fall, the Solovievs did an about-face and declared that the pharmacy, which had been open since the 1920s, would no longer fill prescriptions — leaving the nearest drugstore a ferry ride away. — Reeves Wiedeman, Curbed, 22 June 2026