REVERSE Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'reverse' contrast with its synonyms?

The words invert and transpose are common synonyms of reverse . While all three words 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

Q: When might 'invert' be a better fit than 'reverse'?

In some situations, the words invert and reverse are roughly equivalent. However, invert applies chiefly to turning upside down or inside out. // the number 9 looks like an inverted 6

Q: When could 'transpose' be used to replace 'reverse'?

The meanings of transpose and reverse largely overlap; however, transpose implies a change in order or relative position of units often through exchange of position. // transposed the letters to form an anagram

reverse 1 of 3

verb

Definition of reverse

as in to overturn

to change (as an opinion) to the contrary the appeals court reversed the district court's decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to flip

to change the position of (an object) so that the opposite side or end is showing when one side of the cleaning cloth gets dirty, just reverse it you can reverse the jacket for a whole new look

Synonyms & Similar Words

reverse

2 of 3

noun

as in reversal

a change in status for the worse usually temporarily the party has suffered some major reverses as a result of the corruption scandal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

status quo

as in opposite

something that is as different as possible from something else how could you think I don't like pizza, when it's just the reverse: I love pizza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in back

a behind part or surface on the reverse of the ticket you'll find the notice that it's nontransferable

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reverse

3 of 3

adjective

as in reversed

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

forward

as in inverse

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reverse contrast with its synonyms?

The words invert and transpose are common synonyms of reverse. While all three words 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

When might invert be a better fit than reverse?

In some situations, the words invert and reverse are roughly equivalent. However, invert applies chiefly to turning upside down or inside out.

the number 9 looks like an inverted 6

When could transpose be used to replace reverse?

The meanings of transpose and reverse largely overlap; however, transpose implies a change in order or relative position of units often through exchange of position.

transposed the letters to form an anagram

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 reverse

Verb

Without waiting for the actual opinion to drop, the US quickly went to an appeals court to reverse an order that did not exist yet, Brown said. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 Its debut coincided with BBC Three being restored to linear TV, a decision that was reversed on Tuesday. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026

Noun

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 Shaquille O’Neal first messaged Mac McClung a decade ago, when McClung was a seventeen-year-old living in Gate City, Virginia, scoring sixty points in a game and doing reverse-windmill dunks over future accountants and insurance adjusters. — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Difficult-to-reverse decisions also need strong controls, such as human review, deterministic rules, a traditional model or another independent validation mechanism. — Swati Deepak Kumar, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026 In both versions, the helm sits at the center of the main deck, protected by a wraparound windscreen with a reverse rake. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reverse

Verb

Yet those strengths may not be enough to overturn the structural advantages enjoyed by Moscow and Beijing, said experts.

— Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Bolsonaro also called for amnesty for his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence under house arrest after being found guilty of plotting a coup to overturn his defeat in the 2022 election.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of overturn

Verb

Caminero—the series’ lone long-ball-hitting behemoth—lasered a ball to third, which the Brewers’ David Hamilton snagged in the air and flipped to second for a double play to end the inning.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Republicans hold a 33-23 advantage, and senior Democrats acknowledge flipping the six seats needed to seize control of the chamber is out of reach this year.

— Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of flip

Noun

The 2018 tailspin had followed a massive momentum crescendo and reversal several months earlier, which gave way to an erratic tape that couldn't absorb what seemed at the time relatively unthreatening Federal Reserve tightening actions.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
In Georgia, Wesley’s Law, championed by Laura and Larry Gay after their son’s death, required public schools to stock overdose-reversal medication such as naloxone.

— Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of reversal

Noun

Whatnot pointed out that some of the leading trends across the past few years are seeing their opposites pick up.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
But the romantic and professional relationship between Holmes and former company president Sunny Balwani seemed to be the opposite.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of opposite

Noun

But many voters turned their backs on the party when Lula and other leaders became embroiled in corruption scandals in the 2010s.

— Catherine Osborn, NPR, 26 Oct. 2026
Rather than putting the rock into the arms of one of his reliable running backs and brute-forcing the 2 yards, Danielson kept the ball in fifth-year quarterback Maddux Madsen’s hands.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of back

Adjective

The first pulses concentrate enough energy into a tiny spot to heat a small region and create a reversed magnetic area.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
It’s not yet confirmed if the reversed look that was seen initially will be released at retail.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 May 2026

Definition of reversed

Adjective

Capacity ends up being allocated in a roughly inverse proportion to health, and health has nothing to do with importance.

— Manas Chaudhari, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
On the daily chart, MOO has formed an imperfect but recognizable inverse head-and-shoulders pattern and decisively broken through resistance around $86-$87.

— Jay Woods, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of inverse

Browse Nearby Words

reversals

reverse

reversed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Reverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reverse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reverse

verb

noun

adjective

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