right-about-face

Meaning

A right-about-face is a military command to turn around and face the opposite direction, often used to change the direction of a formation or to reverse a previous command. It can also be used figuratively to describe a sudden change in direction or policy.

Examples

• The company did a right-about-face on their marketing strategy after realizing it wasn't working.
• The hikers had to do a right-about-face and head back down the mountain due to the bad weather.