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
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The reversal was driven largely by Claude Code, Anthropic’s autonomous coding tool.
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The official said the demand to dismantle Black Economic Empowerment policies was viewed internally as a direct reversal of commitments made to South Africans who fought against apartheid.
Noun
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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.
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College officials defended their about-face in an update posted to the Columbia admissions website.
Cite this Entry
“Volte-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volte-face. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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