reverse

1 of 3

adjective

re·​verse ri-ˈvərs How to pronounce reverse (audio)
1
a
: opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition
reverse order
b(1)
: having the back presented to the observer or opponent
(2)
: made with one's back to the basketball net
a reverse layup
2
: coming from the rear of a military force
3
: acting, operating, or arranged in a manner contrary to the usual
4
: effecting reverse movement
reverse gear
5
: so made that the part which normally prints in color appears white against a colored background
reversely adverb

reverse

2 of 3

verb

reversed; reversing

transitive verb

1
a
: to turn completely about in position or direction
b
: to turn upside down : invert
c
: to cause to take an opposite point of view
reversed herself on the issue
2
: negate, undo: such as
a
: to overthrow, set aside, or make void (a legal decision) by a contrary decision
b
: to change to the contrary
reverse a policy
c
: to undo or negate the effect of (something, such as a condition or surgical operation)
had his vasectomy reversed
3
: to cause to go in the opposite direction
especially : to cause (something, such as an engine) to perform its action in the opposite direction

intransitive verb

1
: to turn or move in the opposite direction
the count's waltzing … consisted … of reversing at top speedAgatha Christie
2
: to put a mechanism (such as an engine) in reverse
reverser noun

reverse

3 of 3

noun

1
: something directly contrary to something else : opposite
2
: an act or instance of reversing
especially : defeat, setback
suffered financial reverses
3
: the back part of something
especially : the side of a coin or currency note that is opposite the obverse
4
a(1)
: a gear that reverses something
also : the whole mechanism brought into play when such a gear is used
(2)
: movement in reverse
b
: an offensive play in football in which a back moving in one direction gives the ball to a player moving in the opposite direction
Phrases
reverse field or reverse one's field
: to make a sudden reversal in direction or opinion
in reverse
: in an opposite manner or direction
Choose the Right Synonym for reverse

reverse, transpose, invert mean to change to the opposite position.

reverse is the most general term and may imply change in order, side, direction, meaning.

reversed his position on the trade agreement

transpose implies a change in order or relative position of units often through exchange of position.

transposed the letters to form an anagram

invert applies chiefly to turning upside down or inside out.

the number 9 looks like an inverted 6

Examples of reverse in a Sentence

Adjective Can you say the alphabet in reverse order? The drug is used to lower blood pressure but may have the reverse effect in some patients. Verb The runners reversed their direction on the track. There is no way to reverse the aging process. Can anything reverse the trend toward higher prices? Reverse the “i” and “e” in “recieve” to spell “receive” correctly. My mother and I reversed our roles. Now I'm taking care of her. We're going to reverse our usual order and start with Z. Noun The building appears on the reverse of the coin. Please sign your name on the reverse. I put the car in reverse and backed out of the garage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The father was the last witness to speak in the second day of a reverse waiver hearing — an effort by the defense to move the boy’s case from adult court to children’s court. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 The two were the leaders of a relentless interior attack, taking and making a parade of tough layups and twisting reverse finishes as the Bulldogs took a 15-13 lead into the second quarter. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2024 The event website touted interactive exhibits, and images shared on the site couldn’t be found elsewhere on the internet through reverse image searches. Angela Yang, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 Shareholders of electric-vehicle maker Canoo Inc. have authorized a reverse stock split ratio ranging from 1:2 to 1:30 at the discretion of the board of directors and with the approval of shareholders, according to a recent filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. John Magsam, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Granada, which has been battling with the likes of De La Salle, San Ramon Valley and Dublin during the league season, pushed the margin to 57-51 on a drive from Lennon and a reverse layup from Taylor with 31.3 seconds left. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Restaurants have a reverse version of it when prices drop during happy hour. The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024 Headlines blare that globalization is in reverse and remote work is over. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2024 This reverse gratitude journaling not only helps in reframing your outlook but also encourages a more optimistic and hopeful mindset. Womensmedia, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Bryan Johnson, who founded and sold mobile-payments firm Braintree, has also emerged as a high-profile user of rapamycin in his current project: developing a protocol to reverse the aging process. Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 After overriding Mayor Muriel Bowser to reduce penalties for certain crimes a year ago, the council last week passed a measure designed to reverse course to curb retail theft and carjackings. Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 Rust has asked a Marion County Superior Court judge to reverse that decision. The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024 That helped stock indexes to reverse their losses as the day progressed. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Taylor Wilson: Does this feel like a broad trend toward reversing certain criminal justice reforms? USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 The OpenAI board was forced to reverse its decision to oust Altman after most of OpenAI’s employees threatened to quit if Altman were not rehired. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 But reverse big Clarice Akunwafo, who has been a key all season in helping check some of the Pac-12’s best bigs in limited minutes, frustrated Brink in the post and feasted on the offensive glass. Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 11 Mar. 2024 Gotch admitted to reversing aggressively with her truck and then driving forward before driving through the park, according to police. Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Follow Election 2024 If the Supreme Court reverses or pares back the use of the obstruction charge, all of those cases would have to be reconsidered anew. Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Security then moved a shuttle bus in front of the protestors, driving forward and in reverse to block them and try to muffle the sound. William Earl, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024 Let there be dark The same rule about light applies to the evening, but in reverse, Zee said. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 During the robbery, one of the men, Justin White, put his car in reverse. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Mar. 2024 In Russia, as the bomb ticks toward zero and the henchman is about to shoot Washington, the corpse on the floor springs to life, blocks the bullet, opens the gate, then runs away in reverse. Nate Jones, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2024 Foster will need to hire an offensive coordinator in addition to a tight ends coach and running backs coach after Foster vacated the latter role to take the same post with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders before running a reverse back to his alma mater. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Just a few months ago, the planning process seemed to be going in reverse. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 The margins of his vision crowded in, so that the bed itself appeared as if viewed through a pair of binoculars held in reverse. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reverse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English revers, from Anglo-French, from Latin reversus, past participle of revertere to turn back — more at revert

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reverse was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near reverse

Cite this Entry

“Reverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reverse

1 of 3 adjective
re·​verse ri-ˈvərs How to pronounce reverse (audio)
1
: opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition
reverse order
2
: acting or working in a manner opposite to the usual
3
: bringing about backward movement
reverse gear
reversely adverb

reverse

2 of 3 verb
reversed; reversing
1
: to turn completely about or upside down or inside out
2
a
: to overthrow or set aside a legal decision by an opposite decision
b
: to change to the contrary
reverse a policy
3
a
: to go or cause to go in the opposite direction
b
: to put (as a car) into reverse
4
: to undo the effect of (as a condition)
face creams that promise to reverse the signs of aging
reverser noun

reverse

3 of 3 noun
1
: something directly opposite to something else
2
: an act or instance of reversing
especially : a change for the worse
3
: the back part of something
4
: a gear that reverses something
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English revers "opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition," from early French revers (same meaning), from Latin reversus "turned back," from revertere "to turn back," from re- "again" + vertere "to turn" — related to converse, versatile, vertical, vice versa

Medical Definition

reverse

transitive verb
re·​verse ri-ˈvərs How to pronounce reverse (audio)
reversed; reversing
: to change drastically or completely the course or effect of: as
a
: to initiate recovery from
reverse a disease
b
: to make of no effect or as if not done
reverse a surgical procedure

Legal Definition

reverse

verb
re·​verse
reversed; reversing

transitive verb

: to set aside or make void (a judgment or decision) by a contrary decision compare affirm

intransitive verb

: to reverse a decision or judgment
for these reasons, we reverse
reversible adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on reverse

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