It was during the 1980s and 1990s that [Barry] Goldwater developed a reputation for apostasy. He defended legal abortion and homosexual rights and criticized the religious right, famously arguing that Jerry Falwell deserved “a swift kick in the ass.” Some conservatives felt betrayed, while liberals applauded. (Michael Gerson, Mr. Right, U.S. News & World Report, 06/8/1998, p. 12.)
This word, when used in the above sense, can also be a synonym for reversal, revocation or about-face.
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