U-turn

noun

ˈyü-ˌtərn How to pronounce U-turn (audio)
Synonyms of U-turnnext
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

Synonyms of U-turn

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
The bus then stopped in an interstate crossover to make a U-turn to the eastbound lanes, and a Kia Sportage hit the rear portion of the bus that was still in the left lane of westbound I-265, Huls said. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Aug. 2026 Anderson then got into her vehicle, placed it in drive, and made a U-turn to face Fasano, according to the indictment. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 But around midday Wednesday, oil prices made an unexpected U-turn and moved slightly higher on reports of a plan by Russian President Vladimir Putin to escalate his war with Ukraine, 4½ years after the Kremlin invaded its former Soviet satellite. — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026 Rivera made a U-turn, but Yakel didn’t pull over for 6-9 blocks, according to the affidavit. — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for U-turn

See All Rhymes for U-turn

Browse Nearby Words

U-tube
U-turn
UV
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“U-turn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/U-turn. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All