Flip vs. Reverse — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 28, 2024
Flip involves changing the orientation, while reverse involves changing the order or direction.
Difference Between Flip and Reverse
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Flipping something typically refers to turning it over to the opposite side or changing its orientation. For example, flipping a coin results in it landing on either its heads or tails side, implying a physical or spatial transformation. On the other hand, reversing something means changing its direction, order, or progression, such as reversing the order of letters in a word or the direction a video plays. This can involve a temporal or sequential change rather than a spatial one.
While flipping is often associated with a physical or visual alteration, such as flipping a page in a book or an image in a graphic design program, reversing can apply to both physical movements and abstract concepts, like reversing a decision or reversing the flow of water. Whereas flipping usually results in a 180-degree spatial change, reversing focuses on directionality or sequence without implying a specific degree of rotation.
The concept of flipping is frequently used in contexts where two distinct sides or states are involved, and the action causes a switch from one to the other, like flipping a switch or flipping a house in real estate for profit. Conversely, reversing is applicable in contexts involving a broader range of activities, such as reversing a car, which doesn’t necessarily imply a flipping motion but rather a change in movement direction.
In computer science or programming, flipping a bit changes its value from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0, which is a form of inversion specific to binary states. Reversing, in the same context, might refer to reversing a string of text or the order of elements in an array, which affects the sequence rather than the state of individual elements.
Flipping can be seen as a subset of actions that could also be described as reversing in some contexts. For example, flipping a drawing upside down is both flipping and reversing it spatially, but the term used may depend on the intent or focus of the action. While flipping emphasizes the action's effect on the object's orientation, reversing emphasizes the action's effect on order or direction.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Changing the orientation or side.
Changing the order, direction, or progression.
Contexts
Physical objects, images, states.
Sequences, directions, decisions.
Implication
Involves a 180-degree spatial change.
Involves change in directionality or sequence.
Common Uses
Flipping a coin, a page, an image.
Reversing a car, reversing a decision, reversing a video.
In Programming
Flipping a bit (binary inversion).
Reversing a string or array (changing element order).
Focus
On the state or side of an object.
On the sequence or directionality.
Examples
Flipping a house, flipping a switch.
Reversing the flow of water, reversing a judgment.
Physical vs. Abstract
Primarily physical or visual.
Both physical movements and abstract concepts.
Subset
Can be a form of reversing in spatial contexts.
Broader, not limited to spatial changes.
Compare with Definitions
Flip
To turn over to the opposite side.
He flipped the mattress to use the other side.
Reverse
To change something to its opposite direction.
She reversed the car into the parking spot.
Flip
To sell something for a profit after improving it.
They plan to flip the renovated property.
Reverse
To move backward or in the opposite direction to the usual.
The video was reversed, playing from end to start.
Flip
To change direction or orientation.
The artist flipped the canvas to gain a new perspective.
Reverse
To change the order of elements.
He reversed the sequence of numbers for the code.
Flip
To invert the state of something.
She flipped the switch, turning off the light.
Reverse
To annul or overturn a decision.
The court reversed the previous ruling.
Flip
To toss something lightly or casually.
He flipped the coin to decide their fate.
Reverse
To change the functioning or operation.
The engineer reversed the machine's flow to improve efficiency.
Flip
To throw or toss with a light brisk motion
Flipped the ball to the pitcher.
Reverse
To return; to revert.
Flip
To toss in the air, imparting a spin
Flip a coin.
Reverse
Turned backward in position, direction, or order
The reverse side of the poster.
Flip
To cause to turn over or around, especially with a light quick motion
Flip over a card.
Flipped the pancake with a spatula.
Reverse
Moving, acting, or organized in a manner contrary to the usual
In reverse order.
Flip
To turn through (papers, for example); leaf
Flipped the pages of the report.
Reverse
Causing backward movement
A reverse gear.
Flip
To strike quickly or lightly; flick
Flipped me on the shoulder with his finger.
Reverse
(Printing) Printed in such a way that the normally colored part appears white against a colored or black background.
Flip
To move or act on with a quick motion
Flip a switch.
Flipped open her briefcase.
Reverse
The opposite or contrary
All along we thought Sue was older than Bill, but just the reverse was true.
Flip
To change or reverse (one's position or attitude).
Reverse
The back or rear part
The reverse of the flyer.
Flip
To buy and resell (a house, for example) in a short period of time for a profit.
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not carry the principal design; the verso.
Flip
To turn over from one side to another or end over end
The canoe flipped over.
Reverse
A change to an opposite position, condition, or direction.
Flip
To turn a somersault, especially in the air.
Reverse
A change in fortune from better to worse; a setback
Suffered financial reverses.
Flip
To move up and down in twists and turns
Fish flipping about in the net.
Reverse
A mechanism, such as a gear in a motor vehicle, that is used to reverse movement.
Flip
To move quickly and lightly; snap
The lid flipped open.
Reverse
The position or operating condition of such a mechanism.
Flip
To leaf; browse
Flipped through the catalogue.
Reverse
Movement in an opposite direction.
Flip
To change one's mind, especially on a political position.
Reverse
(Football) An offensive play in which a ball carrier running in one direction executes a handoff to a player running in the opposite direction.
Flip
To go crazy.
Reverse
To turn around to the opposite direction
The wind reversed the weather vane.
Flip
To react strongly and especially enthusiastically
I flipped over the new car.
Reverse
To turn inside out or upside down
Reverse a jacket.
Flip
A flick or tap.
Reverse
To exchange the positions of; transpose
Reversed the people on stage.
Flip
A short, quick movement
A flip of the wrist.
Reverse
(Law) To change or set aside (a lower court's decision).
Flip
A somersault.
Reverse
To cause to adopt a contrary viewpoint
Reversed himself during the campaign.
Flip
(Informal) A reversal; a flipflop.
Reverse
To change to the opposite
Reversed their planned course of action.
Flip
A mixed drink made with any of various alcoholic beverages and often including beaten eggs.
Reverse
To cause (an engine or mechanism) to function in reverse.
Flip
Marked by casual disrespect; impertinent
A flip answer to a serious question.
Reverse
To direct that (a charge) apply to the person receiving instead of making a telephone call.
Flip
A maneuver which rotates an object end over end.
We'll decide this on a flip of a coin.
The diver did a couple of flips before landing in the pool.
Reverse
To turn or move in the opposite direction.
Flip
A complete change of direction, decision, movement etc.
Reverse
To reverse the action of an engine.
Flip
(archaic) A fillip or light blow.
Reverse
Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
We ate the meal in reverse order, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.
The mirror showed us a reverse view of the scene.
Flip
(dated) A whit or jot; the tiniest amount.
I don't care a flip for what he says.
Reverse
Pertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction.
He selected reverse gear.
Flip
A slingshot.
Reverse
To be in the non-default position; to be set for the lesser-used route.
Flip
A hairstyle popular among boys in the 1960s–70s and 2000s–10s, in which the hair goes halfway down the ears, at which point it sticks out
Justin Bieber and Zac Efron are among the celebrities who wore a flip.
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
Flip
(informal) The purchase of an asset (usually a house) which is then improved and sold quickly for profit.
Reverse
(botany) Reversed.
A reverse shell
Flip
The tendency of a gun's barrel to jerk about at the moment of firing.
Reverse
(genetics) In which cDNA synthetization is obtained from an RNA template.
Flip
A mixture of beer, spirit, etc., stirred and heated by a hot iron (a "flip dog").
Reverse
In a reverse way or direction; in reverse; upside-down.
Flip
(transitive) To throw so as to turn over.
You need to flip the pancake onto the other side.
Reverse
The opposite of something.
We believed the Chinese weren't ready for us. In fact, the reverse was true.
Flip
(transitive) To put into a quick revolving motion through a snap of the thumb and index finger.
If you can't decide which option to go for, flip a coin.
Reverse
The act of going backwards; a reversal.
Flip
To win a state (or county) won by another party in the preceding elections.
Wisconsin had been Democratic for decades, but the Republicans flipped it in 2016.
Reverse
A piece of misfortune; a setback.
Flip
To turn state's evidence; to agree to testify against one's co-conspirators in exchange for concessions from prosecutors.
The mafioso flipped on his superiors to get a lighter sentence.
Reverse
The tails side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that is opposite the obverse.
Flip
To induce someone to turn state's evidence; to get someone to agree to testify against their co-conspirators in exchange for concessions.
The district attorney was able to strengthen his case against the bank robber by flipping the getaway driver.
Reverse
The side of something facing away from a viewer, or from what is considered the front; the other side.
Flip
To go berserk or crazy.
I'd flip if anyone broke my phone.
Reverse
The gear setting of an automobile that makes it travel backwards.
Flip
To buy an asset (usually a house), improve it and sell it quickly for profit.
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Flip
To refinance (a loan), accruing additional fees.
Reverse
(surgery) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Flip
To invert a bit (binary digit), changing it from 0 to 1 or from 1 to 0.
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something around so that it faces the opposite direction or runs in the opposite sequence.
To reverse the order of books on a shelf
To reverse a portion of video footage
Flip
To hand over or pass along.
Reverse
(transitive) To turn something inside out or upside down.
Flip
To switch to another task, etc.
Reverse
(transitive) To transpose the positions of two things.
Flip
Having the quality of playfulness, or lacking seriousness of purpose.
I hate to be flip, but perhaps we could steal a Christmas tree.
Reverse
(transitive) To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
All trends reverse eventually.
Flip
Sarcastic.
Reverse
To return, come back.
Flip
(informal) Disrespectful, flippant.
Don't get flip with me or I'll knock you into next Tuesday!
Reverse
To turn away; to cause to depart.
Flip
A mixture of beer, spirit, etc., stirred and heated by a hot iron.
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
Flip
To toss (an object) into the air so as make it turn over one or more times; to fillip; as, to flip up a cent.
As when your little onesDo 'twixt their fingers flip their cherry stones.
Reverse
(legal) To revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.
To reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree
Flip
To turn (a flat object) over with a quick motion; as, to flip a card over; to flip a pancake.
Reverse
To cause a mechanism to operate or move in the opposite direction to normal; to drive a vehicle in the direction the driver has the back.
Flip
To cause (a person) to turn against former colleagues, such as to become a witness for the state, in a criminal prosecution in which the person is a defendant.
Reverse
(chemistry) To change the direction of a reaction such that the products become the reactants and vice-versa.
Flip
To resell (an asset) rapidly to make a quick profit.
Reverse
To place (a set of points) in the reverse position.
Flip
To become insane or irrational; - often used with out; as, seeing her mother killed made the girl flip out.
Reverse
To move from the normal position to the reverse position.
Flip
An acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return
Reverse
To engage reverse thrust on (an engine).
Flip
Hot or cold alcoholic mixed drink containing a beaten egg
Reverse
To overthrow; to subvert.
Flip
The act of flipping a coin
Reverse
(computing) reverse-engineer
Flip
A dive in which the diver somersaults before entering the water
Reverse
Turned backward; having a contrary or opposite direction; hence; opposite or contrary in kind; as, the reverse order or method.
Flip
(sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team;
The pass was fumbled
Reverse
Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
He found the sea diverseWith many a windy storm reverse.
Flip
Lightly throw to see which side comes up;
I don't know what to do--I may as well flip a coin!
Reverse
Reversed; as, a reverse shell.
Flip
Cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation;
Switch on the light
Throw the lever
Reverse
That which appears or is presented when anything, as a lance, a line, a course of conduct, etc., is reverted or turned contrary to its natural direction.
He did so with the reverse of the lance.
Flip
Look through a book or other written material;
He thumbed through the report
She leafed through the volume
Reverse
That which is directly opposite or contrary to something else; a contrary; an opposite.
And then mistook reverse of wrong for right.
To make everything the reverse of what they have seen, is quite as easy as to destroy.
Flip
Toss with a sharp movement so as to cause to turn over in the air
Reverse
The act of reversing; complete change; reversal; hence, total change in circumstances or character; especially, a change from better to worse; misfortune; a check or defeat; as, the enemy met with a reverse.
The strange reverse of fate you see;I pitied you, now you may pity me.
By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich.
Flip
Cause to move with a flick;
He flicked his Bic
Reverse
The back side; as, the reverse of a drum or trench; the reverse of a medal or coin, that is, the side opposite to the obverse. See Obverse.
Flip
Throw or toss with a light motion;
Flip me the beachball
Toss me newspaper
Reverse
A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
Flip
Move with a flick or light motion
Reverse
A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
Flip
Turn upside down, or throw so as to reverse;
Flip over the pork chop
Turn over the pancakes
Reverse
To turn back; to cause to face in a contrary direction; to cause to depart.
And that old dame said many an idle verse,Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse.
Flip
Go mad, go crazy;
He flipped when he heard that he was being laid off
Reverse
To cause to return; to recall.
And to his fresh remembrance did reverseThe ugly view of his deformed crimes.
Flip
Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)
Reverse
To turn upside down; to invert.
A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if balanced by admirable skill.
Flip
Marked by casual disrespect;
A flip answer to serious question
The student was kept in for impudent behavior
Reverse
Hence, to overthrow; to subvert.
These can divide, and these reverse, the state.
Custom . . . reverses even the distinctions of good and evil.
Reverse
To overthrow by a contrary decision; to make void; to under or annual for error; as, to reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree.
Reverse
To become or be reversed.
Reverse
A relation of direct opposition;
We thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true
Reverse
The gears by which the motion of a machine can be reversed
Reverse
An unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating
Reverse
The side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal design
Reverse
(American football) a running play in which a back running in one direction hands the ball to a back running in the opposite direction
Reverse
Turning in the opposite direction
Reverse
Change to the contrary;
The trend was reversed
The tides turned against him
Public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern
Reverse
Turn inside out or upside down
Reverse
Rule against;
The Republicans were overruled when the House voted on the bill
Reverse
Directed or moving toward the rear;
A rearward glance
A rearward movement
Reverse
Reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect
Reverse
Of the transmission gear causing backward movement in a motor vehicle;
In reverse gear
Common Curiosities
How is reversing different from flipping?
Reversing changes the order, direction, or progression of something, focusing on directionality or sequence, while flipping involves changing orientation or side.
What does it mean to flip something?
Flipping something means turning it over to its opposite side or changing its orientation, often resulting in a 180-degree spatial alteration.
How does reversing apply in a programming context?
In programming, reversing can involve changing the order of elements in an array or reversing a string, affecting the sequence rather than the state of individual elements.
Can flipping be considered a form of reversing?
In some contexts, flipping can be seen as a specific form of reversing, especially when it involves changing the spatial orientation that also reverses the order or direction.
What is an example of flipping in a digital context?
Flipping a bit from 0 to 1 or vice versa in digital electronics or programming is an example of flipping in a digital context, indicating a binary inversion.
Can flipping affect the functionality of an object?
Flipping an object like a switch changes its functionality by altering its state, such as turning a device on or off.
Is reversing always related to physical movement?
No, reversing can also apply to abstract concepts, such as reversing a decision, indicating a change in direction or order that isn't limited to physical movement.
Why might someone reverse a video or audio recording?
Reversing a video or audio recording can be for artistic effects, to uncover hidden messages, or to analyze the content in reverse order for various purposes.
What does it mean to reverse the flow of something?
Reversing the flow of something, like water or traffic, means changing its direction to move in the opposite path or manner from its current or usual direction.
What are common uses of the term 'flip' in everyday language?
Common uses include flipping a coin, flipping a house, flipping a page, or flipping a switch, indicating a change in state, position, or ownership for profit.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
