Volte-face Definition

vôlt-fäs, vôltə-
volte-face
noun
volte-face
A turn so as to face the opposite way; about-face.
Webster's New World
A reversal, as in policy; an about-face.
American Heritage
A complete reversal of opinion, attitude, etc.
Webster's New World

A dramatic change in mood or tone, commonly in poetry.

Shakespeare often used volte faces in the rhyming couplets at the end of his sonnets.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Origin of Volte-face

  • French from Italian voltafaccia volta (from voltare to turn vault2) faccia face (from Vulgar Latin facia face)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From the Latin meaning literally about face.

    From Wiktionary

  • Borrowing from French

    From Wiktionary

Volte-face Sentence Examples

  • Its acquisition was a significant one, representing a volte-face in the Library's attitude to ephemeral materials.

  • Still, it did not take long before this buyer made a complete volte-face.

  • Then, in a complete volte-face, a referendum was conceded.

  • Leo X., Julius II.s successor, by an astute volte-face exchanged Parma and the Concordat for a guarantee of all the Churchs possessiOns, which meant the defeat of French plans (1515).

  • Does this volte-face represent the end of the dreams spun around the Web?

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Words Starting With

VVOVOL

Words Ending With

ECEACE

Unscrambles

volte-face

Words Starting With V and Ending With E

Starts With V & Ends With EStarts With VO & Ends With EStarts With V & Ends With CE

Word Length

10 Letter Words10 Letter Words Starting With V10 Letter Words Ending With E