about face
interjection
(used as a military command to perform an about-face.)
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about face
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about-face
about-facenouna turn of 180° from the position of attention.
about face
1 Americaninterjection
about-face
2
American
[uh-baut-fays, uh-baut-fays, uh-baut-fays]
/ əˈbaʊtˌfeɪs, əˈbaʊtˈfeɪs, əˌbaʊtˈfeɪs /
noun
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Military. a turn of 180° from the position of attention.
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a complete, sudden change in position, direction, principle, attitude, etc..
They've done an about-face in their foreign policy.
verb (used without object)
about-faced,
about-facing
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to execute an about face.
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to turn in the opposite direction.
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to switch to an opposite opinion.
Etymology
Origin of about face1
An Americanism dating back to 1860–65
Origin of about-face2
An Americanism dating back to 1860–65
Explanation
An about-face is a turn in the opposite direction. If you're halfway to school when you realize you forgot your lunch, you may have enough time to make an about-face, run home, and grab it. A literal about-face, when you pivot your body to face 180 degrees away from where you started, has a military origin. About-face is a drill command that's given to a group of marching soldiers, who must turn in a smooth, synchronized way to face the opposite direction. Figuratively, an about-face can be an abrupt change of belief, opinion, or practice — like your friend whose diet leans heavily on fast-food hamburgers until he does an about-face and becomes a vegetarian.
Vocabulary lists containing about-face
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Especially given the about face on the prior China restrictions, we are optimistic that quarterly China sales could stabilize sooner rather than later,” Chin said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
Tells us, @_timhernandez, what was the moment you realized you needed an about face?
From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2023
Treating people who use opioids as deserving of the same right to healthcare as any other American demands an about face to the way methadone is delivered.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2023
In his court filing, Drummond explained that the state’s about face was the result of another independent review of the Glossip case that his office had commissioned in January of this year.
From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2023
“And you’ll be with other people who want to learn about face transplants and stuff.”
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
Anwar's about-face welcoming of Min Aung Hlaing and returning back migrants is partially due to a shift in domestic politics, experts say.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was also an about-face for Mamdani, who had the endorsement of the union in last year’s mayoral election and said during his campaign that he supported the bonuses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Experts say the abrupt about-face on California’s once-heralded nuclear exit reflects a broader trend as the state grapples with an electricity future almost no one saw coming.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The company offered no real reason for the about-face, other than a public statement declaring in part, “We believe that Artificial will be better served if it were released by a different studio.”
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
More than a little patience will be needed when explaining the complete about-face.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But it wasn’t long before Musk abruptly about-faced and effectively banned the student from X, accusing Sweeney of endangering his personal safety.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
"They know who it is?" asked Slaight, who had about-faced and was marching next to the guy who had whispered the news.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2023
But then Washington about-faced, easing banking restrictions for six months to allow earthquake relief to flow freely to Syria.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2023
But the Supreme Court about-faced, ruling 5-4 in the 1871 cases Knox v.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2020
The men quit, gestured obscenely, about-faced, swayed leisurely back to their van, started it up, and drove out of the gorge.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
