turnabout
Americannoun
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the act of turning in a different or opposite direction.
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a change of opinion, loyalty, etc.
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a reciprocal action; act of doing to someone exactly as that person has done to oneself or another.
Turnabout is fair play.
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a person who changes things; a radical.
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Chiefly British. merry-go-round.
noun
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the act of turning so as to face a different direction
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a change or reversal of opinion, attitude, etc
Etymology
Origin of turnabout
First recorded in 1590–1600; noun use of verb phrase turn about
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.
U.S. use of Ukraine-tested innovations marks a turnabout.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026
“Here’s our North Star: Does this help us win?” he said in a mid-December statement announcing his turnabout and the study’s unceremonious interment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
The company’s turnabout moved Goldman Sachs to raise the stock to a Buy from a Hold last week, while upping its price target to $80 from $64.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
“This radical turnabout has never occurred,” Stark told The Times.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2025
“What if the rebels decide that turnabout is fair play? We need to care for them so they do not harm their British captives.”
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
