change tack

English

Alternative forms

• change one's tack

Verb

change tack (third-person singular simple present changes tack, present participle changing tack, simple past and past participle changed tack)

1. (nautical) To change course or heading.

   Synonym: switch tack

2. (figurative, by extension) To take a different approach.

   Synonym: switch tack

   • 2008 January 21, Brian Stelter, “MySpace changes tack to expand”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     So MySpace has changed tack. What was seen as a competitor to traditional media platforms is starting to resemble one.

   • 2018 July 15, Jonathan Jurejko, “Novak Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon by beating Kevin Anderson”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:

     Anderson rarely ventured forward in the opening two sets, coming to the net on seven occasions, before changing tack and making 14 approaches in the final set alone.

   • 2021 October 20, Ben Jones, “The benefits of (and barriers to) more leisure travel by rail”, in RAIL, number 942, page 32:

     Industry experts are concerned that if the railway doesn't change tack, it would soon find itself out of step with the needs of the nation and in the crosshairs of a Treasury looking to slash spending.

Derived terms

• change of tack

Translations

(nautical) to change course or heading

• Finnish: muuttaa kurssia
• French: virer de bord (fr)

(figurative) to take a different approach

• Finnish: muuttaa suunnitelmaa, vaihtaa suuntaa, vaihtaa strategiaa
• French: changer de stratégie, changer de tactique

Further reading

• “change your tack”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.