Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

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DO AN ABOUT-FACE

to change one’s behavior or mind abruptly and (often) apparently without reason
DO AN ABOUT-FACE
1. Yesterday, the boss said none of us could take our vacations in June. Then this morning, he did an about-face and said we could.
2. At first Ron’s parents wouldn’t let him have a car, but when they realized how much they would have to drive him around, they did an about-face.

The expression originates from the military command “About face!” which instructs a soldier to turn in the opposite direction.


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