as in reversal
a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite
the novelist's unexpected volte-face from experimentalism to traditional narrative form
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Recent Examples of volte-face
The Kremlin has denied any such request was made, which tells you something about how Moscow views the optics of this diplomatic volte-face.
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Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025
Adding to his administration’s volte-face, Biden was on the verge of a big bang in the U.S.-Saudi relationship when Hamas derailed the effort with its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
—Dana L. Stroul, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Britain is not the only country pressed into making a volte-face.
—London Business School, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The realities of Putin’s momentum, coupled with Washington’s volte-face, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.
—Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Read More: How Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pushed Through Asia’s First Cannabis Legalization
Cannabis advocacy groups and businesses have voiced their opposition to the policy volte-face, staging rallies and threatening a legal challenge against the premier.
—Pathom Sangwongwanich / Bloomberg, TIME, 27 June 2024
The Brits demanded a volte-face, thought her European stylist Tati Cotliar, fashion director of riotous cool-girl mag Buffalo Zine.
—Alice Newbold, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for volte-face
Noun
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To the contrary, though the film is frequently funny, Brewer takes their ambitions and reversals seriously.—
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State officials said Thursday that the FBI would be solely in charge of Wednesday's deadly encounter, in a reversal from earlier beliefs that the probe would be a dual federal-state effort.—
Noun
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In an about-face on Monday, a federal judge has decided to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine if Luigi Mangione’s backpack was lawfully seized and searched inside an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s during his arrest.—
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The forthcoming announcement would mark an about-face for FEMA officials, who repeatedly resisted calls to test properties for toxic substances after federal contractors finished removing fire debris.—
Cite this Entry
“Volte-face.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/volte-face. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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