as in reversal
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
the novelist's unexpected volte-face from experimentalism to traditional narrative form
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Recent Examples of volte-face
This volte-face was not just about electoral politics.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Adding to his administration’s volte-face, Biden was on the verge of a big bang in the U.S.-Saudi relationship when Hamas derailed the effort with its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
—Dana L. Stroul, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.
—London Business School, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The realities of Putin’s momentum, coupled with Washington’s volte-face, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.
—Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Read More: How Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pushed Through Asia’s First Cannabis Legalization
Cannabis advocacy groups and businesses have voiced their opposition to the policy volte-face, staging rallies and threatening a legal challenge against the premier.
—Pathom Sangwongwanich / Bloomberg, TIME, 27 June 2024
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
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
Adding to his administration’s volte-face, Biden was on the verge of a big bang in the U.S.-Saudi relationship when Hamas derailed the effort with its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
—Dana L. Stroul, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.
—London Business School, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The realities of Putin’s momentum, coupled with Washington’s volte-face, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.
—Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Read More: How Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pushed Through Asia’s First Cannabis Legalization
Cannabis advocacy groups and businesses have voiced their opposition to the policy volte-face, staging rallies and threatening a legal challenge against the premier.
—Pathom Sangwongwanich / Bloomberg, TIME, 27 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volte-face
Noun
-
The reversals highlights how the world’s biggest energy-importing region is being particularly hard hit by the war in the Middle East and the lack of access to oil and fuel from the Persian Gulf.—
Nicholas Lua,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Scholars such as the ethnomusicologist Michael Fuhr saw K-pop as a reversal of long-standing narratives, especially in pop music, that accentuated the flow of culture from West to East.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Collegiate Consulting then did an about-face on social media, posting to X the following morning that the firm stood by its original figures.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The move marks an about-face for the government.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Volte-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volte-face. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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