as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else
the new administration had promised peace and prosperity, but what we got was the obverse: war and recession
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reverse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obverse
David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages.
—Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser.
—Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for obverse
Noun
Kraft noted that the coin's obverse was identical to the 1806 British coinage, while the reverse was unique to the Bahamas.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages.
—Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The obverse side of the communications coin is that without TLS encryption, that information is there for anyone to sniff out.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser.
—Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for obverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obverse
Noun
-
On the flip side, fast running is pretty much the opposite of slow running.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Sparks and bullets fly when these opposites are partnered to track down a billion-dollar cache of deadly opioids stolen from the vault of a multinational pharmaceutical company that threaten to flood the streets of Chicago.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) makes a reverse layup during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Dallas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Mar. 2026
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The state was among the first to introduce reverse vending machines, and today redemption options include bulk-feed technology and bag-drop systems that allow consumers to return containers quickly and efficiently.—
Chuck Riegle,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Playoff teams will select three through six based on the inverse order of the regular-season standings.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This is the inverse aspect of high capital returns.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obverse. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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