Skip to main content
turnabout

turnabout

10 6.0
A complete change to the opposite view or decision
  • noun
  • /ˈtɜrnəˌbaʊt/
translation icon : giro
  • The historically dramatic turnabout was precipitated by three critical cases of Soviet overstretch.
  • a complete turnabout

Examples

  • No scholarly discovery nor any new critical insight justified this remarkable turnabout.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Emma, however, gradually recovered, and then we find perhaps the most surprising turnabout of all in this strange saga.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The fact that this involved a complete turnabout in policy surprised no one since it met the needs of the moment.

    Academic text (1993)
  • What brought you to this turnabout, Mary Warren?

  • With this turnabout, left-wing writers suddenly fell in love with the show.

    Academic text (2009)
  • After her initial horror at discovering their origin wore off, my mother did a complete turnabout in her feelings toward the beans.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • But drought and 1995's cotton crop failure triggered a dramatic turnabout in planting patterns.

    Academic text (1997)
  • And government reports issued at the close of the Nixon years vividly illustrated the 180-degree turnabout in conventional wisdom.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Golde's case illustrates what many anthropologists encounter: a turnabout in the expectations and performance of their roles in the field.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The team's unexpected turnabout in strategy led them to victory in the final minutes of the game.

Synonyms

turning
vsturnabout
152 4.4

A change in the usual way of doing things in a group or organization

is a stronger idea stressing complete opposite change rather than any instance
change of heart
vsturnabout
  • Informal
54 3.4

A time when a person decides they feel differently about something

is the neutral term for any complete change, not only feelings
reversal
vsturnabout
25 4.2

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

is an everyday word for that exact complete change
turnaround
vsturnabout
22 5.2

A sudden change to the opposite decision or policy

is a broader name for any complete change of position
flip-flop
vsturnabout
  • Literature
12 6.7

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

is a neutral term for a complete change without surprise
about-face
vsturnabout
  • Literature
5 7.3

A sudden, complete change of direction or opinion

covers complete change broadly, not only sudden or sharp cases
reverse
vsturnabout
4 4.2

A sudden change to the opposite direction or a setback that stops progress

focuses only on the opposite change without implying misfortune
change of mind
vsturnabout
4 2.8

A decision to take back a previous choice or opinion

covers complete change more widely, not only choices or decisions
180
vsturnabout
  • Informal
1 4.4

A complete change of direction or opinion

means complete reversal more generally, not only measured turns
backflip
vsturnabout
  • Literature
1 6.6

A sudden public change of a decision or promise

is the basic term for any full change, not mainly public
backtracking
vsturnabout
1 5.5

Changing a previous promise, decision, or opinion

is the broader notion of a complete change, not only withdrawal
volte-face
vsturnabout
1 9.6

A sudden complete change of opinion or plan

is the general term for any complete change, not only sudden ones
handbrake turn
vsturnabout
  • UK
6.8

A sudden change of plans, policy, or behaviour

includes any complete change, not only sudden or decisive ones
turnback
vsturnabout
  • UK
4.4

A decision to stop a journey and go back because of a problem

is more general, applying to opinion or position changes too

Antonyms

363 3.1

Being steady and not likely to change

52 4.7

A situation where things stay the same or keep happening without big changes

How Complete

turnabout
10 6.0
reversal
25 4.2
change
1.1
shift
363 3.5

Surface Forms

turnabout singular
turnabouts plural

Morphology

turnabout = turn (transparent) = about + turn

The meaning 'reversal' is a direct result of combining 'turn' + 'about' (i.e., turn around), which an average learner can infer from the base words. [Postprocessing: moved 'about' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

Turnabout is made of turn and about, which together mean 'turn' and 'around', like turning your body the other way, so a turnabout is a sudden change to the opposite direction, position, or opinion.