change tack

present singular third person changes tack · participle present changing tack · participle past changed tack · past changed tack · alternative change one's tack

1. nauticalTo change course or heading.

   Synonyms: switch tack

2. broadlyfigurativelyTo take a different approach.

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

   2008 January 21, Brian Stelter, “MySpace changes tack to expand”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   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.

   2018 July 15, Jonathan Jurejko, “Novak Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon by beating Kevin Anderson”, in BBC Sport

   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.

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

   Synonyms: switch tack