1
: a turn resembling the letter U
especially : a 180-degree turn made by a vehicle in a road
2
: something (such as a reversal of policy) resembling a U-turn

Examples of U-turn in a Sentence

an abrupt U-turn of her support for the candidate after hearing the news of his misdeeds
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gabbard has recently executed a sharp U-turn on a controversial law: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Niall Stanage, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025 Only right turns are possible, and eastward travelers are forced to head west and make a potentially risky U-turn on busy Colbern Road or turn around in another parking lot. Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025 Mark Zuckerberg announcing a complete U-turn on all woke censorship & cancel culture bulls***.. good for you Mark Zuckerberg and good for Elon Musk who has led the charge on free speech. Michael D. Carroll and Theo Burman, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025 Syria’s new leaders are trying to distance their country from both these actors; days after Assad’s ouster, an oil tanker full of Iranian crude made a U-turn away from Syria, suggesting that Tehran might stop backing the country’s energy sector. Delaney Simon, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for U-turn 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of U-turn was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near U-turn

Cite this Entry

“U-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/U-turn. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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