U-turn

Definition

A turn in a vehicle carried out by driving in a semicircle in order to travel in the opposite direction.

Etymology

From U + turn, from the similarity to the shape of the letter U.

Example Sentences

• "What's disappointing about all this doom and gloom is that the franchise has made the kind of whiplashing U-turn you might see in its car-chase sequences."
• "The government have done a U-turn and are now supporting greater European integration instead of opposing it."
• "Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, announced a major U-turn on the government’s climate commitments last month, pushing back the deadline for selling new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers."