About face
(used as a military command to perform an about-face).
Military. a turn of 180° from the position of attention.
a complete, sudden change in position, direction, principle, attitude, etc.:
They’ve done an about-face in their foreign policy.
to execute an about face.
to turn in the opposite direction.
to switch to an opposite opinion.
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(as a command) put the ship about. Nautical. to tack. verb -ships, -shipping, -shipped (intransitive) (nautical) to manoeuvre a vessel onto a new tack
- About that
about that Related Terms sorry about that
- About time
Long past the right time; also, approximately the right time. Thus, It’s about time you went to bed can mean either that you should have gone to bed much earlier (often stated with emphasis on the word time), or that now is the appropriate time for you to retire. [ Early 1900s ] For a […]
- About to
Ready to, on the verge of, as in I was about to leave when it began to rain, or He hasn’t finished yet but he’s about to. This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale’s 1535 translation of the Bible (Joshua 18:8). not about to. Having no intention of doing something, as in The shop […]
- About turn
interjection a military command to a formation of men to reverse the direction in which they are facing noun a complete change or reversal, as of opinion, attitude, direction, etc verb (intransitive) to perform an about-turn