to about-face
3
6.7
- idiom
- /əˈbaʊt feɪs/
- Literature
:
cambiar de opinión
- For a moment, Susan's correction didn't sink in; then Lex did an about-face.
Examples
-
She made an about-face on her stance after hearing the new evidence presented at the conference.
-
I did an 'about face' on my own semi-liberalism (I was taught in the system) and have never turned back.
Blog text (25) -
Richard Nixon was elected in November and did an about-face on many of the Great Society initiatives of his predecessor.
Academic text (1999) -
It needs to do an about-face before the bills come due, or there will be hell to pay.
Blog text (33) -
It was around World War II that American food culture did an about-face.
Blog text (22) -
Barack Obama won re-election for President and has done an about-face on medical cannabis protection.
Blog text (3) -
If teachers lead the way, perhaps researchers, parents, students, administrators, and society in general will do an about-face and begin to recognize the tremendous contributions that teachers make.
Academic text (1990) -
After much debate, the committee decided to do an about-face on their earlier decision regarding the project.
-
The politician's sudden about-face on the new policy surprised many of his supporters.
Synonyms
10
6.5
To try to change a previous statement or position to avoid criticism
8
7.3
Change a plan or policy quickly to follow a different idea
6
5.1
To show a different opinion after you were against it before
4
6.8
To completely change your opinion or decision
3
6.6
To suddenly change your opinion or plan to the opposite
Change a plan or decision so the opposite happens
Antonyms
How Reversed
- Literature
3
6.7
- Literature
23
5.3
4
2.8
227
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
About-face comes from the same soldier's command about + face, which told people to 'turn around and face the opposite direction', and a helpful way to remember the verb sense is to think of suddenly 'turning' your opinion to the exact opposite.