as in reversal
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
more than one London newspaper accused the prime minister of doing an about-turn on the issue
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Recent Examples of about-turn
And while this about-turn is leading headlines today, the war in Iran continues to cast a shadow over the trip.
—
Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The specific reasons behind the about-turns are not clear, as both Iraq and Pakistan had earlier received approvals from Iran to transit the strait.
—Weilun Soon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Veteran forward Nicolas Batum called the team’s about-turn from a 6-21 start remarkable but cautioned against getting wrapped up in the achievement with 17 regular-season games left.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 12 Mar. 2026
That was only the latest about-turn by the government, which despite enjoying a sizable majority in the House of Commons, has gained a reputation for turning tail whenever Labour backbenchers oppose a policy.
—Will Standring, Bloomberg, 14 Jan. 2026
First, a dramatic about-turn by the United States.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
The revelations represent a stunning about-turn in a case for which Azevedo had yet to appear in court to face felony charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency, which could carry up to 20 years on the most serious count.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Also on March 10, a federal judge ruled that the department is required to make its records public, an about-turn for the agency that has been mired in secrecy, according to Forbes.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Under Leahy’s watch, Glossier launched at Sephora in February 2023, marking an about-turn from its prior DTC strategy and adopting a more traditional retail playbook.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 13 May 2026
The specific reasons behind the about-turns are not clear, as both Iraq and Pakistan had earlier received approvals from Iran to transit the strait.
—Weilun Soon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
Veteran forward Nicolas Batum called the team’s about-turn from a 6-21 start remarkable but cautioned against getting wrapped up in the achievement with 17 regular-season games left.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 12 Mar. 2026
That was only the latest about-turn by the government, which despite enjoying a sizable majority in the House of Commons, has gained a reputation for turning tail whenever Labour backbenchers oppose a policy.
—Will Standring, Bloomberg, 14 Jan. 2026
First, a dramatic about-turn by the United States.
—Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025
The revelations represent a stunning about-turn in a case for which Azevedo had yet to appear in court to face felony charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to a government agency, which could carry up to 20 years on the most serious count.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Also on March 10, a federal judge ruled that the department is required to make its records public, an about-turn for the agency that has been mired in secrecy, according to Forbes.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Under Leahy’s watch, Glossier launched at Sephora in February 2023, marking an about-turn from its prior DTC strategy and adopting a more traditional retail playbook.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for about-turn
Noun
-
The sudden reversal of perspective gives me the sensation of observing myself from the outside.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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The controversy has reignited debate over harm-reduction policies, which seek to reduce the health consequences of drug use through services such as clean syringes, smoking supplies, overdose-reversal medication and connections to treatment and housing services.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
This volte-face was not just about electoral politics.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
17 Jan. 2026
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The Kremlin has denied any such request was made, which tells you something about how Moscow views the optics of this diplomatic volte-face.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
22 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“About-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/about-turn. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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