ABOUT-FACE • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of About-face

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/əbˈaʊt-feɪs/ Listen

About-face

noun

Act of pivoting 180 degrees, especially in a military formation. Synonym: about turn.

A major change in attitude or principle or point of view. Synonyms: policy change, reversal, volte-face.

verb

Turn, usually 180 degrees.

Change one's mind and assume the opposite viewpoint.

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Etymology of 'About-face'

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"About-face" Quotes from Famous Books

... Gibson has published almost a dozen books of verse—the first four or five (see Preface) being imitative in manner and sentimentally romantic in tone. With The Stonefolds (1907) and Daily Bread (1910), Gibson executed a complete right-about-face and, with dramatic brevity, wrote a series of poems mirroring the dreams, pursuits and fears of common humanity. Fires (1912) marks an advance in technique and power. And though in Livelihood (1917) Gibson seems to be theatricalizing and merely exploiting his working-people, his later lyrics ...

— Modern British Poetry • Various

... twelve-mile dash home, and feeling particularly fit for the labours of the afternoon in consequence of having found every hospital patient of his own on the road to recovery—two of them having taken a right-about-face from a condition which the day before had pointed toward trouble—discovered his first office patient lying fast asleep upon the ...

— Red Pepper's Patients - With an Account of Anne Linton's Case in Particular • Grace S. Richmond

... side of bearer. They leave ranks together, form in line at right of troop, march shoulder to shoulder and always wheel to the right, the Color Bearer being the pivot and giving all orders to Guard. After Bearer has taken flag and turns, the Guards salute, take one step forward, about-face, and all march to position in front of troop. The Color Guard never takes part in the repeating of the Promise, Laws, Pledge of Allegiance or singing of Star ...

— Scouting For Girls, Official Handbook of the Girl Scouts • Girl Scouts

... next morning explaining just why he couldn't go along on the proposed fishing trip. Tod was inclined to accept his excuses at face value, but Dave and Frank could not understand why Jerry should so suddenly about-face in his notions. Just the day before he had talked as if he was prepared to stay a week. But his promise of a speedy return—with his own fishing tackle—finally silenced their grumblings, especially when he agreed to ...

— The Boy Scouts of the Air on Lost Island • Gordon Stuart

... Aunt Matilda's about-face, hiding the pictures and telling me to go back to Chicago? Had she threatened whoever was behind this, and gotten her money back? Or had she again become convinced that her financial venture ...

— The Gallery • Roger Phillips Graham