1. Turn inside out or upside down
   "The acrobat reversed his position in mid-air";
   - turn back, invert
    
2. Change to the contrary
   "The trend was reversed";
   - turn
    
3. Turn around the position, order, relation, or condition of
   "when forming a question, reverse the subject and the verb";
   - invert
    
4. Cancel officially
   "He reversed the ban on smoking";
   - revoke, annul, lift, countermand, repeal, overturn, rescind, vacate
    
5. Reject, invalidate, or set aside an existing decision, judgment, or authority
   "The Supreme Court reversed the lower court's decision";
   - overrule, overturn, override
    
6. Move backwards, esp. drive a vehicle backwards
   "He had to reverse the car out of the narrow driveway";
   - back up

1. Reversed (turned backward) in order, nature or effect
   "The reverse side of the coin showed a different design";
   - inverse
    
2. Directed or moving toward the rear
   "a reverse glance";
   - rearward
    
3. Of the transmission gear causing backward movement in a motor vehicle
   "in reverse gear"

1. Turning in the opposite direction
   "The company's financial reverse was unexpected";
   - reversion, reversal, turnabout [N. Amer], turnaround
    
2. A relation of direct opposition
   "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true";
   - contrary, opposite
    
3. (American football) a running play in which a back running in one direction hands the ball to a back running in the opposite direction
   "The team caught the defence off-guard with a well-executed reverse"
    
4. The gears by which the motion of a machine can be reversed
   "He shifted into reverse gear to back out of the parking space";
   - reverse gear
    
5. An unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
   "The project faced a major reverse when funding was cut";
   - reversal, setback, blow, black eye
    
6. The side of a painting, print, coin, etc. that does not bear the principal design
   "The artist's signature was found on the reverse of the painting";
   - verso

Derived forms: reversing, reverses, reversed

See also: backward, turn off, turn on

Type of: alter, cancel, change, change of direction, decree, gear, gear mechanism, happening, modify, natural event, occurrence, occurrent, oppositeness, opposition, reorder, reorientation, rule, run, running, running game, running play, side, strike down

Antonym: forward, obverse

Part of: auto [informal], autocar [archaic], automobile [N. Amer], car, coin, motor [Brit, informal], motorcar, wheel [informal], whip [US, informal]

Encyclopedia: Reverse, Then Forward Again