do an about-face

Idioms  

1. Also,. Reverse one's opinion or course of action. For example, The board did an about-face on acquiring more land, or We expected Dad to do a flip-flop concerning our vacation plans, or They had relied on Jim to vote for Harry, but he did a one-eighty and cast his vote for the incumbent. The first term, alluding to the army command to turn around, dates from the first half of the 1900s, and the variants from the second half of the 1900s (the last refers to a 180-degree change of direction).

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Example Sentences

This is after Mr. Hogan first announced to fanfare that the new bridge under construction would have bicycle and pedestrian facilities, only to do an about-face when construction was set to begin.

From Washington Post

It made new calculations based on the response to the decision by Tesla and Musk to do an about-face, and settled on a strike price of $484.35.

From The Verge

The CDC’s findings and surging case counts across the country were enough for the agency to do an about-face on masking.

From Seattle Times

“They made plans accordingly. For the state to do an about-face . . . it is really unfortunate.”

From Washington Post

Supermarket workers in Texas are urging their employer to do an about-face on its newest mask policy.

From Fox News