REVERSAL Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

reversal

noun

ri-ˈvər-səl

Definition of reversal

as in reverse

a change in status for the worse usually temporarily the company's long-term strategy is sound, and they should be able to weather this latest reversal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quo

as in turnaround

a changing from one policy or point of view to virtually its exact opposite parents need to be consistent in their discipline policy, as reversals will only undermine the whole process

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of reversal The Meta reversal is especially notable as the company had previously rejected an appeal by Bleecker Street, leaving it with few options to run ads on Instagram and Facebook. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026 Jin Wong’s career reversal The hiring of Wong in 2024 came as a surprise even to him. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026 The public relations secretary for the national teachers union has also publicly supported the initiative, a complete reversal of the group’s response a decade ago. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 It's been a role reversal so far this season after the Raiders beat the Chargers 26-14 in Week 2 to improve to 2-0 and hand Los Angeles a second straight loss. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reversal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reversal

Noun

Available options include bicycle carriers, a side awning and a color reverse camera system.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Liberated from the genome, the sequence in the RNA copy is then reverse-transcribed into DNA at a different location.

— Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of reverse

Noun

New York — Starbucks is closing approximately 250 locations in the coming days as the coffee chain continues to prune its store count during its turnaround efforts.

— Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Target, which is starting to get some traction in its turnaround, but is still lagging Walmart, is making style a pillar of its new approach.

— Evan Clark, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of turnaround

Noun

Shelford addressed the deckhand’s absence during the episode as his crew grappled with a series of setbacks.

— Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
But during the shutdown, Brightline ended the deal with Branson’s Virgin Group, saying that the company’s reputation had diminished as a result of financial setbacks.

— David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of setback

Noun

This goes counter to Disney’s official stance, which is a flat denial that Covid had anything to do with one Bob stepping down and another stepping up.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
While discussing UnitedHealthcare and its denial of insurance claims, Oliver gave an example of a patient who had to pay $95,000 out of pocket for cancer treatment after a claim was denied.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of denial

Noun

In a surprising turnabout, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art canceled a John Galliano exhibition that was due to open next spring, in what would have been the Costume Institute‘s big May 2027 show, held in tandem with the notorious Met Gala.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 31 Aug. 2026
The turnabout led to a statewide recount that took weeks, cost more than $260,000 and ultimately reaffirmed Prosser's reelection.

— Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of turnabout

Noun

Love was unclear on the reasons for her volte-face, but speculated that Sky had failed to convince Bake Off stars like Paul Hollywood to make the switch.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
The volte-face in transfer strategy is not necessarily negative.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of volte-face

Noun

Still, the latest hike marks an about-face from the Fed's stance at the start of the year, when inflation was cooling, and as many economists expected the central bank to lower interest rates throughout 2026.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Whiplash doesn’t quite cut the stark about-face in cultural consensus that eventually paved the way for season 2, premiering this November.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of about-face

Noun

Roosevelt is arguably the more useful example, precisely because of his hesitation, pragmatism, and self-interest.

— Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
My hesitation in choosing him had to do with his background being political in experience, not administrative.

— Marci Woodward, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of hesitation

Browse Nearby Words

revering

reversal

reversals

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Style

“Reversal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reversal. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reversal

noun

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