about-face
English
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about-face
- /əˈbaʊtˌfeɪs/ US
Where it comes from
From about + face, first attested in 1861, used in the imperative in the military.
noun about-faces · about face
- An abrupt turn to face the opposite direction. The soldier did an about-face and marched off.
- A reversal in direction; a reversal of attitude or opinion. When Luke heard the news, he did an abrupt about-face on the policy.
verb about-faces · about-facing · about-faced · about face
- To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. The soldiers would about-face immediately after the order was given.
- To change opinion or attitude drastically. A politician will about-face at the drop of a hat if he thinks there are votes in it.
Translations
Every language
noun military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction
| Español | media vuelta, cambio de rumbo |
|---|---|
| Português | meia-volta |
| Français | demi-tour, volte-face, revirement |
| Italiano | dietro front, dietrofront |
| Русский | круго́м krugóm |
noun reversal of direction or attitude
| Español | media vuelta, virazón, cambio de rumbo |
|---|---|
| Português | reviravolta |
| Deutsch | Kehrtwende |
| Italiano | voltafaccia, voltagabbana, banderuola |
verb to turn 180 degrees
| Español | dar la media vuelta, darse media vuelta |
|---|---|
| Français | faire demi-tour |
| Deutsch | Kehrtwende machen |
| Italiano | fare dietrofront |
verb to change opinion or attitude
| Español | cambiar de rumbo |
|---|---|
| Français | faire volte-face |
| Italiano | fare il voltafaccia, fare il voltagabbana, cambiare casacca |
Talk about this word "about-face." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/about-face. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. about-face. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/about-face "about-face." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/about-face.Cite this
@misc{about_face_2026,
title = {about-face},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/about-face},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
