to change one's tune
- idiom
- Informal
- During the debate, she changed her tune after realizing the audience disagreed with her view.
- the president changed his tune
- he's changed his tune now
- changed his tune later
Examples
-
If he wants my vote again, he had better change his tune.
Blog text (31) -
Then I stepped in, and this guy changed his tune real fast.
Blog text (10) -
But really, why would you believe anyone who changes his tune just before election time?
Blog text (23) -
David gets the message and changes his tune.
Fiction book (1997) -
Once he is called out on his lies, he changes his tune.
Blog text (22) -
Maybe if they pay a little visit to her home, she'll change her tune.
-
Did you vote for Obama, hoping that he would change his tune during his second term?
Blog text (26) -
Asked what made him change his tune, Lee insisted that it was support from city officials that convinced him.
Blog text (19) -
Don't change your tune later, okay?
-
And if you don't change your tune, you're going to be forbidden on campus as well.
Synonyms
Decide to think or act differently from before
To change your mind and accept something you first refused
Change your mind because someone persuades you or you learn new facts
To completely change your opinion or decision
To suddenly change your opinion or plan to the opposite
To change your opinion or position completely and suddenly
To have a different opinion after seeing new facts or benefits
Antonyms
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'alter one's opinion or attitude' is a metaphorical extension of the literal parts: 'change' (alter) + 'tune' (melody/manner) where 'tune' stands for manner or tone. A B1 learner who knows the words may guess it involves changing something about oneself, but mapping 'tune' specifically to attitude and the idiomatic nuance (suddenness or persuasion) is not fully predictable without prior exposure, though cross‑linguistic parallels (e.g. French 'changer de ton') make it partially transparent.
Etymology
Change one's tune may come from music: imagine a singer who starts one song but then changes the tune to a different melody to show a new feeling. That's why the phrase means 'to change your opinion or attitude'.