Meaning & use
complete reversals
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Meanings
nounplural
Total changes in which something becomes the opposite of what it was before.
Grammar: Usually appears with a plural verb: complete reversals are rare. The singular is "a complete reversal".
Patterns
- a complete reversal of something
- complete reversals in something
- complete reversals of policy
The company's complete reversals on pricing confused both customers and investors.
After the election, there were complete reversals in the government's position on trade.
History shows that such complete reversals of policy usually follow a financial crisis.
nounplural
Situations in which two things swap places or roles entirely.
Grammar: Used like other plural nouns, often after "there are" or a plural verb.
Patterns
- complete reversals of fortune
- complete reversals in the order of something
The match produced complete reversals of fortune in the final ten minutes.
Complete reversals of the usual roles can happen when a student becomes the teacher.
Word forms
| singular | complete reversal |
|---|
Common combinations
- a complete reversal of policy
- Voters were shocked by the complete reversal of policy on energy.
- a complete reversal of fortune
- The team enjoyed a complete reversal of fortune after the new coach arrived.
- mark a complete reversal
- The decision marks a complete reversal of the bank's earlier advice.
- a complete reversal in direction
- There has been a complete reversal in direction since the report was published.
- undergo a complete reversal
- Public opinion underwent a complete reversal within a single year.
Synonyms and how they differ
- turnaround
- Turnaround often suggests a change that brings improvement, while a complete reversal is simply a switch to the opposite.
- U-turn
- U-turn is informal and usually describes a change by a person or organization under pressure.
- about-face
- About-face is close in meaning but sounds more dramatic and is common in journalism.
Word family
- reverse verb
- to change something to its opposite
- reversal noun
- a change to the opposite direction or decision
- reversible adjective
- able to be changed back to the previous state
- irreversible adjective
- impossible to change back
Commonly confused: complete reversals or reversal? complete reversals or reversion?
complete reversals vs reversal
Reversal is the singular noun; use it for one change, and complete reversals when you mean more than one or the general idea.
complete reversals vs reversion
Reversion means a return to an earlier state, not a switch to the opposite.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
With the singular article "a", the noun must also be singular: "a complete reversal". Option 0 mixes "a" with the plural, option 2 drops the article, and option 3 mixes "the" with the plural while the sentence describes one change.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “complete reversals”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.