1
a
: opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition
reverse order
b(1)
: having the back presented to the observer or opponent
sign on the reverse side
(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
reversed; reversing
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
a
: to overthrow, set aside, or make void (a legal decision) by a contrary decision
reversed the lower court's 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
1
: to turn or move in the opposite direction
… the count's waltzing … consisted … of reversing at top speed …—
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie2
: to put a mechanism (such as an engine) in reverse
reverser
noun
see also:
1
: something directly contrary to something else : opposite
The river flows south to north, rather than the reverse.
I thought it would be easy, but it was quite the reverse. [=it was not easy at all]
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
see also:
1
: something that is opposite to something else
The river flows south to north, rather than the reverse.
Women may play in the men's league, but not the reverse. Men have to play in their own league.
You don't owe me any money. If anything, the reverse is true.
"Did you think it would be difficult?" "Quite the reverse. I thought it would be easy."
—often + ofThe ending of the book was the reverse of what I expected.
2
: the back side of a coin, document, etc.
The building appears on the reverse of the coin.
Please sign your name on the reverse.
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 (1)
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
Fabio Caversan, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Safety features are extensive, from forward and reverse collision warning to traffic sign recognition and front and rear parking sensors to stop-and-go adaptive cruise control.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026
Over the last seven months, LeVota has proposed a series of tax policies intended to reverse or overwrite damages from the 2023 property tax cycle, including a retroactive 15% cap on residential property values from 2023.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
But watching most of the progress reverse is demoralizing enough to feel like failure.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reverse
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Much of that time was spent on manual reverse engineering, boilerplate reconstruction, test creation and regression stabilization.
—Fabio Caversan, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Safety features are extensive, from forward and reverse collision warning to traffic sign recognition and front and rear parking sensors to stop-and-go adaptive cruise control.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Verb
China could also attempt to reverse-engineer and copy the model in a process known as distillation.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 13 June 2026
Over the last seven months, LeVota has proposed a series of tax policies intended to reverse or overwrite damages from the 2023 property tax cycle, including a retroactive 15% cap on residential property values from 2023.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
Noun
For the tragicomic is camp in reverse.
—Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
But watching most of the progress reverse is demoralizing enough to feel like failure.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reverse
Cite this Entry
“Reverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reverse
1 of 3 adjective
re·verse
ri-ˈvərs 
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 noun1
: 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
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
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