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volte-face

volte-face

1 9.6
A sudden complete change of opinion or plan
  • noun
  • /voʊltˈfɑs/
translation icon : cambio de opinión
  • His abrupt volte-face regarding the new law revealed his shifting priorities on environmental issues.

Examples

  • So, what are the reasons for this astounding volte-face?

  • Presumably, the United States' tough position on Russia's WTO accession caused this volte-face from America to Europe.

    Academic text (2010)
  • I put it down to the fact that I had been his friend even before his volte-face the previous year.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Spurious arguments have been put forward to justify this volte-face.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Historians are mildly mysterious about the extreme Soviet volte-face.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In a sudden volte-face, your DMK sought to strike a new note on Tuesday by slamming your AIADMK government for sacking the athletics official.

    Blog text (12)
  • Ecuador's volte-face to a position that was clearly pro-Western on this issue took it a step farther away from what had been, ever since 1972, a certain anti-imperialist, Third World-leaning policy.

    Academic text (1992)
  • As I mentioned, in fact, there is a remarkable volte-face in the novel's latter half when the protagonist accepts a different set of arguments in favor of destroying the mirror and abandons the emotional quest to avenge her murdered co-pilot.

    Academic text (2018)
  • After months of debate, the politician's unexpected volte-face surprised many of his supporters.

  • The company's recent volte-face on their sustainability policy confused customers who valued transparency.

Synonyms

turn
vsvolte-face
343 3.4

A sudden change in a situation or story

is a sudden change in opinion, attitude, or policy rather than general events
change of heart
vsvolte-face
  • Informal
54 3.4

A time when a person decides they feel differently about something

is sudden and policy oriented rather than an internal emotional shift
reversal
vsvolte-face
25 4.2

A change to the opposite direction or position, for example when wind turns

is a sudden complete change rather than a general process or act
flip-flop
vsvolte-face
  • Literature
12 6.7

A sudden change in opinion or policy that reverses an earlier decision

is a complete sudden change rather than just an unexpected reversal
turnabout
vsvolte-face
10 6.0

A complete change to the opposite view or decision

is sudden and complete rather than only a simple reversal
about-face
vsvolte-face
  • Literature
5 7.3

A sudden, complete change of direction or opinion

is the identical sudden and complete change in opinion or policy
to do an about-face
vsvolte-face
  • Informal
3 6.6

To suddenly change your opinion or plan to the opposite

is the noun for a sudden complete change rather than the verb action
backflip
vsvolte-face
  • Literature
1 6.6

A sudden public change of a decision or promise

is the general sudden complete change not limited to politics or public remarks
180
vsvolte-face
  • Informal
1 4.4

A complete change of direction or opinion

is a sudden change rather than a general complete reversal over time

How Complete

volte-face
1 9.6
reversal
25 4.2
shift
363 3.5
change
1.1

Surface Forms

volte-face singular
volte-faces plural

Etymology

Volte-face comes from French parts volte ('turn') and face ('face'), so it literally means 'turn the face' like doing an about-face. That's why a volte-face is a sudden and complete change of opinion or policy.