| 释义 |
Definition of about-turn in English: about-turn(North American about-face) noun əbaʊtˈtɛːn British 1(chiefly in military contexts) a turn made so as to face the opposite direction. he did an about-turn and marched out of the tent Example sentencesExamples - I suggested a quick about-turn, and started outlining directions for the city centre.
- He took me by surprise by reaching out and squeezing my hand before making a complete about-face and heading into the nearest elevator.
- It would mean officers arrive at the station, complete their pocket book and do an about-turn to go straight back out onto the streets.
- He turned a sharp about-face and strode forward.
- Finally, Wren and I saluted and did an about-face, turning around to face the platoon.
- Brakes squealed as the few cars that happened to travel down that road screeched to a stop and promptly did an about-face, quickly driving in the opposite direction.
- Their chests swelled with pride as they saluted the general, did an about-face, and marched away exuberantly.
- Kai turns a sharp about-face and exits, not saying a word to Keetra.
- The soldier shook his head, they saluted once again, and he turned a perfect about-face and walked back down the steps to his horse.
- Then she did an about-face, marched right back into the guy's office, and declared, ‘I have one more thing to say to you: I am your customer.’
- Motorists at Dr Cullen roundabout were doing an about-turn all this week, as Carlovians caught their first glimpse of the town's latest sculpture.
- Marching stiffly across the room he performed a perfect about-turn before slapping his tiny sandalled foot on the clay floor and saluting.
Synonyms about-face, volte-face, turnaround, turnround, turnabout, U-turn, rowback informal U-ey, one-eighty - 1.1 A complete change of opinion or policy.
the government made an about-turn over the bill Example sentencesExamples - Last March, Eircom did an about-turn in strategy and announced that it was planning to spin off part of its multimedia businesses into a new company and float the resulting entity on the stock market.
- Sweden announced on Friday that it is seeking restrictions on workers from the incoming members, including its Baltic neighbours, following about-turns from the Dutch, Danes and Greeks.
- Lil looked up, surprised by the complete about-face he had just done.
- In Germany, the food scare has sparked an about-face on agricultural policy.
- The abrupt about-face followed mounting public opposition, protests calling for her resignation and growing pressure from her own allies.
- That one was so outrageous that it antagonized the entire civilized world, and undoubtedly contributed to the Europeans' about-face on lifting military sanctions against China.
- There is nothing intrinsically wrong with politicians doing an about-face, even when the reversal is as stunning as this one.
- The economy's sudden about-face serves as a dramatic reminder that such changes can be both large and unpredictable, rendering budget projections obsolete before the ink in which they are written has begun to dry.
- Tewkesbury borough councillors have done an about-turn and withdrawn their support for the county council's controversial one-way system in Tewkesbury High Street.
- The sale of the marine shipping assets represents an about-face in direction for BC Rail in recent years.
- More important than his about-face in the context of my analysis is Rethel's awareness of his own position as artist.
- In an about-turn, Justice Humphrey Stollmeyer ruled in favour on Friday of the four policemen, and ordered that each receive $100,000 in damages.
- But I can't come up with any other force besides the president that would be strong enough to make the military do an about-face.
- I simply say to the member opposite that he has done an absolute about-face.
- The party's recent troubles following the policy about-face on the reform of the grassroots financial institutions illustrates the problem.
- Either way it is an accurate account of what happened to Orwell's thinking: this was an about-face, a real or metaphoric overnight conversion.
- Traditionally conservative Singapore is also making a complete about-face.
- The decision marks an abrupt about-turn for the board.
- Now, the Greens are going to turn around and support it; what an about-face!
- At this crucial period of their lives they were surrounded by people who, in very many cases, undertook a complete about-turn with regard to their social and political views.
Synonyms reversal, retraction, backtracking, swing, shift, swerve, U-turn, volte-face, turnaround, turnround change of heart, change of mind, sea change
verb əbaʊtˈtɛːn [no object]British Turn so as to face the opposite direction. suddenly he about-turned and saluted again Example sentencesExamples - I about-faced, marched from the porch and started for the road.
- Suddenly she about-faced and grappled him into the undergrowth.
- But the optimism rapidly evaporated with his abrupt about-face a few days later.
- It's bad enough that a company which had previously welcomed Matthew's efforts about-faced and got nasty.
- So with the number of options diminishing, and last orders long since called, we reluctantly about-faced and came out the same way.
- I about-faced, and it was him: braids replaced by a processed pageboy, teale-and-black basketball jersey, baggy olive-drab shorts.
- With that she about-faced and led me out of the room.
- The customary smirk returned to Trey's lips and he about-faced, coming closer to the nervous young man.
- We about-face and paddle back against the wind to Hoover Dam.
- He glanced around for a moment to make sure no one was around, then about-faced and began walking away.
- She nods frantically, distractedly, ponytail slicing a semi-circle through the air as she about-faces for a new strip of floor to stomp across.
- But she must have said something terribly outrageous, indicated in some obvious way that things weren't altogether normal, because he immediately about-faced and ran in the opposite direction.
- Short of the fall of the iron curtain, few world leaders have ever about-faced so fast.
- Peterson sneered, then about-faced and walked back into the Oval Office.
- Hugh about-turned, and headed in the opposite direction to be met with a similar fate.
- I was ready to about-face and let him drag me home when I noticed an imposing shape in the distance.
- But going by the poor performance trends in the growth of the sector, the government had by 1997 about-turned and abandoned the liberalisation of fertiliser and fixed the prices for the whole of the country.
- The big dog otter probably got as much of a fright as he did, about-turned and leapt into the water.
- He saw Stella, blushed and twirled his hair around with a pencil, and then about-turned sharpish back out of the room.
Synonyms about-face, turn around, turn round, turn about, do a U-turn, reverse, row back
exclamationəbaʊtˈtɛːn about turn!British A military command to make an about-turn. Example sentencesExamples - Finally, looking back he said, ‘O soldiers of Kalinjar, right about turn!’
Origin Late 19th century (originally as a military command): shortening of right about turn. |