- a turn made by a vehicle in the shape of a U, resulting in a reversal of direction
- a complete change in direction of political or other policy
- (intransitive) to perform a U-turn
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
U-turn /ˈyuˌtɜrn/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable]
- a
U -shaped turn made by a vehicle so as to head in the opposite direction from its original course. - a reversal of policy, tactics, etc., resembling such a turn.
v. [no object]
- to execute a U-turn.
U-turn
(yo̅o̅′tûrn′),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
- Automotivea
U -shaped turn made by a vehicle so as to head in the opposite direction from its original course. - a reversal of policy, tactics, or the like, resembling such a maneuver.
v.i.
- to execute a U-turn:to U-turn into oncoming traffic.
- 1925–30
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
U-turn n
'U-turn' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):