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
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
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
1
: something directly contrary to something else : opposite
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
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
Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
The four of them will compete in a game of reverse Jenga, building a tower out of little metal cards until one person fails to place a card without knocking it all down.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024
The Biden administration has issued regulations to reverse Trump’s Title X policies.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Kate Aurthur, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024
While upright, the Tower represents sudden, often chaotic transformation, but the warning is about the dangers of stagnation and holding on too tightly to the old when in reverse.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reverse 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
The filing highlights the company's efforts to regain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements, including potential actions like a reverse stock split.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
The four of them will compete in a game of reverse Jenga, building a tower out of little metal cards until one person fails to place a card without knocking it all down.
—Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Verb
Chris Knopf, executive director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, said reversing Biden’s actions would likely require an administrative process with public notice and public comment opportunities.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024
The Biden administration has issued regulations to reverse Trump’s Title X policies.
—Abigail Brooks, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
The filters of his kidneys were working in reverse, causing his body to lose protein, damaging his kidneys in the process.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024
While upright, the Tower represents sudden, often chaotic transformation, but the warning is about the dangers of stagnation and holding on too tightly to the old when in reverse.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reverse
Dictionary Entries Near reverse
Cite this Entry
“Reverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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