U-turn
Americannoun
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a U -shaped turn made by a vehicle so as to head in the opposite direction from its original course.
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a reversal of policy, tactics, or the like, resembling such a maneuver.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a turn made by a vehicle in the shape of a U, resulting in a reversal of direction
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a complete change in direction of political or other policy
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of U-turn
First recorded in 1925–30
Vocabulary lists containing u-turn
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:
This year’s Red Sox can only hope their U-turn under Chad Tracy mirrors his dad’s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The mood was also lifted by strong Wall Street earnings, while US President Donald Trump's U-turn on threats to impose levies on cargo through the Strait of Hormuz provided a little support.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
In Araujo’s case, surveillance video shows a white van being followed by two SUVs, making a U-turn, and pulling over, but doesn’t seem to have captured the fatal shot.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026
The U-turn reflected an economy that has run hotter than the Fed expected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Bernabe negotiated a tight U-turn, paused to let a two-ton flatbed, piled high with hay bales from Colorado, zoom down the highway, then crossed the road and pulled over slightly ahead of Amarante.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
He announced that he would resign as prime minister and Labour Party leader in June after a string of scandals, missteps and policy U-turns blighted his leadership.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
There have been more than a dozen big U-turns.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
To visit by car, you’ve got to take the expressway south to an easy-to-miss exit and make two quick U-turns down to the riverbank.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
His tenure has been marked by numerous U-turns on issues big and small, from whether to issue national ID cards to an inheritance tax on farmers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
With every step, frantic golden arrows appeared beneath his feet, bending into U-turns on the floor.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
