Backward and Reverse

Backward

Backward adjective - Directed, turned, or done toward the back.
Usage example: a backward turn on ice skates is hard to learn because you can't see where you're going

Reverse is a synonym for backward. In some cases you can use "Reverse" instead an adjective "Backward".

Reverse

Reverse adjective - Reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect.

Backward is a synonym for reverse. You can use "Backward" instead an adjective "Reverse".

Both words in one sentence

  • Theatre / The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) Rewind Gag: The guys announce that they know Hamlet backward, then prove it by performing their cut-down version in reverse.
  • Even getting to a fork backward, quickly shoving the train in reverse, and flipping the switch will only get you a few seconds' respite.
  • Public Service Announcement aka: PSA A more recent UK campaign to get people to drive more slowly through residential areas involves the horrifying image of a dead little girl against a tree, who is slowly dragged backward into the street, bones snapping back into place, before being shown in reverse being hit by a car.
Cite this Source
Reverse and Backward. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/backward/reverse
Backward & Reverse. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/backward/reverse>.
Reverse or Backward. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/backward/reverse.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "backward" and "reverse" have occurred on timeline