volte-face

noun
UK: /ˌvɒlt ˈfɑːs/
US: /ˌvoʊlt ˈfɑːs/

  1. A complete reversal of opinion or policy.

    1. The politician's volte-face surprised everyone.
    2. The company's sudden volte-face on environmental issues raised suspicions about their motives.

Synonyms

reversal turnabout about-face flip-flop
volte-face intransitive-verb

  1. To reverse one's opinion or policy completely.

    1. He volte-faced on his earlier promise.
    2. The government volte-faced, reversing its decision due to public pressure and further consultations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "volte-face" is /ˌvɒlt ˈfɑːs/ in British English and /ˌvoʊlt ˈfɑːs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "volte-face": reversal, turnabout, about-face, flip-flop.

Example usage of "volte-face": "The politician's volte-face surprised everyone.". More examples on the page.