as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else
the new administration had promised peace and prosperity, but what we got was the obverse: war and recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reverse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of obverse
Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser.
—Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages.
—Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for obverse
Noun
The obverse side of the communications coin is that without TLS encryption, that information is there for anyone to sniff out.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser.
—Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Kraft noted that the coin's obverse was identical to the 1806 British coinage, while the reverse was unique to the Bahamas.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages.
—Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for obverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obverse
Noun
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Non-itemizers should consider doing the opposite and wait until 2026 to donate their cash to get a deduction, experts said.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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While most of us would see a hug as something positive, new research from New York's Binghamton University suggests that not every embrace comes from a place of affection—in fact, quite the opposite.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Moving in reverse challenges spatial awareness, coordination and concentration.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Some of the new parking spots in NuLu allow for reverse parking, in which the front of a car faces the street, rather than another vehicle.—
Leo Bertucci,
Louisville Courier Journal,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This new tax would have the inverse effect — instead of raising revenue, many hosts will simply stop hosting, which means less tourism and tax revenue for the city.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
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Protein panic took on an entirely new, inverse meaning this week.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Obverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obverse. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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