turnabout

noun

turn·​about ˈtərn-ə-ˌbau̇t How to pronounce turnabout (audio)
Synonyms of turnaboutnext
1
a
: a change or reversal of direction, trend, policy, role, or character
b
: a changing from one allegiance to another
c
: turncoat, renegade
d
: an act or instance of retaliating
turnabout is fair play
2
: merry-go-round

Synonyms of turnabout

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of turnabout in a Sentence

employees regarded the latest turnabout as a sure sign that management hadn't a clue as to what it was doing
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.
In fact, as Rodriguez explained, Salazar’s turnabout had seemed to spark a fund-raising windfall for his campaign from national donors, who saw the dysfunction as a sign that the seat was potentially flippable. — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026 Add the no-camping turnabout to a list of political issues on which Raman took one position only to later shift her stance — or in some cases, reverse it completely. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 Naturally, Rebecca and Higgins beat Zelda at her own game with a bit of turnabout involving her assistant, leaving a 49-49 percent split between the two women. — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 In a surprising turnabout, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art canceled a John Galliano exhibition that was due to open next spring, in what would have been the Costume Institute‘s big May 2027 show, held in tandem with the notorious Met Gala. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turnabout

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of turnabout was in 1710

Phrases Containing turnabout

Rhymes for turnabout

See All Rhymes for turnabout

Browse Nearby Words

turn a blind eye
turnabout
turnabout is fair play
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turnabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turnabout. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

turnabout

noun
turn·​about ˈtər-nə-ˌbau̇t How to pronounce turnabout (audio)
: a change from one direction or one way of thinking or acting to the opposite
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All