ABOUT-FACE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

Meaning of about-face in English

(Definition of about-face from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
(Definition of about-face from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of about-face

about-face
Yet, in what appears to be another about-face, he writes elsewhere that the paintings are not ' concerned exclusively or even predominantly with potency ' (p. 166).
Then, in another about-face, she repents and resolves to bury her feelings: her music sinks back once more to the declamatory style of the opening.
In many respects, this about-face on the part of organized labor is neither remarkable nor puzzling.
There are several reasons for the government's apparent about-face, all of which have enhanced the leverage of consumer activists and their allies within the policy-making sphere.
I am sure that the public will judge that outrageous and unprincipled about-face for themselves.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
There is no clearer evidence of that than the complete about-face demonstrated in its so-called reasoned amendment.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
Does she accept that she has done a complete about-face in accepting that added value and not crude league tables is the way forward?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
This was an about-face from an incomprehensible passivity towards vandalism, arson and the plunder of government buildings to brutal physical violence against unarmed citizens, resulting in three suspicious deaths.
It was certainly an interesting about-face.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
Now we have this about-face.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
Long narrow lines of marching soldiers were unable to easily stop and about-face.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
It is remembered for the ideological controversy caused by the apparent ideological about-face of the president, who had previously been critical of oil policy.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Other areas where defects may be enhanced are at the wafer edge, where the water has to do an about-face (reverse motion).
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
Quizzed on the apparent about-face, officials said the latest proposal is current policy.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
He goes on to say that he will forgive the misunderstanding if she is willing to do an about-face on the article.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
 

Translations of about-face

in Spanish
cambio radical, giro, media vuelta…
in Portuguese
guinada, meia-volta, reviravolta…
in more languages
in French
in Turkish
in Dutch
in Czech
in Danish
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Ukrainian
volte-face, revirement, demi-tour…
yüz seksen derece dönme, geriye (dön)…
ommekeer, rechtsomkeer…
obrat o 180o, čelem vzad…
kovending, omkringvending, helt om…
perubahan total, berbalik…
การเปลี่ยนความคิดหรือพฤติกรรมอย่างสิ้นเชิง, ในทิศทางตรงข้าม…
sự trở mặt, Đằng sau, quay!…
zwrot o 180 stopni, w tył…
helomvändning, helt om!…
berputar haluan, pusing belakang…
die Kehrtwende, der Richtungswechsel, kehrt!…
atferdsendring, Helt om!…
раптова повна зміна ставлення, точки зору, кругом…
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