To get a new reversed list, apply the reversed function and collect the items into a list:
>>> xs = [0, 10, 20, 40]
>>> list(reversed(xs))
[40, 20, 10, 0]
To iterate backwards through a list:
>>> xs = [0, 10, 20, 40]
>>> for x in reversed(xs):
... print(x)
40
20
10
0
Top answer 1 of 16
1736
To get a new reversed list, apply the reversed function and collect the items into a list:
>>> xs = [0, 10, 20, 40]
>>> list(reversed(xs))
[40, 20, 10, 0]
To iterate backwards through a list:
>>> xs = [0, 10, 20, 40]
>>> for x in reversed(xs):
... print(x)
40
20
10
0
2 of 16
1542
>>> xs = [0, 10, 20, 40]
>>> xs[::-1]
[40, 20, 10, 0]
Extended slice syntax is explained here. See also, documentation.
W3Schools
w3schools.com › Python › ref_list_reverse.asp
Python List reverse() Method
Python Examples Python Compiler ... Plan Python Interview Q&A Python Bootcamp Python Training ... The reverse() method reverses the sorting order of the elements....
Why does [::-1] reverse a list?
[Start:stop:step] if you're going in steps by negative one, you're going backwards More on reddit.com
57
187
March 12, 2022Reversing a list in Python?
I have no idea what the '::' means Please read about ranges in python. They are used all the time and you really need to understand them. There is reverse() and reversed() in python. One changes the list and the other doesn't change the list, but iterates through it from the back. More on reddit.com
12
1
February 11, 2022Beginner question: assigning variable to list.reverse()
Any idea why assigning variable Y to this does not result in anything? create a list of prime numbers x = [2, 3, 5, 7] reverse the order of list elements y=x.reverse() print(y) More on discuss.python.org
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May 12, 2022Videos
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › python-reversing-list
Reversing a List in Python - GeeksforGeeks
This method builds a reversed version of the list using slicing with a negative step. ... Python's built-in reversed() function is another way to reverse the list.
Published May 29, 2026
Mimo
mimo.org › glossary › python › list-reverse-method
Python List reverse() Method: Syntax, Methods, and Examples
This built-in tool is part of how Python efficiently walks through a list backward. The underlying name comes from the behavior of a built-in reversed mechanism, which is powered by a built-in function.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › why does [::-1] reverse a list?
r/learnpython on Reddit: Why does [::-1] reverse a list?
March 12, 2022 -
Why would a double colon reverse a list? Is this something we just have to accept or is there some logic?
a = ['corge', 'quux', 'qux', 'baz', 'bar', 'foo'] print(a[::-1])
Programiz
programiz.com › python-programming › methods › list › reverse
Python List reverse()
The reverse() method reverses the elements of the list.
Codecademy
codecademy.com › article › how-to-reverse-a-list-in-python
How to Reverse a List in Python | Codecademy
Learn how to reverse a list in Python using `.reverse()`, `reversed()`, slicing, the two-pointer method, loops, and recursion with examples.
DataCamp
datacamp.com › tutorial › python-reverse-list
Python Reverse List: How to Reorder Your Data | DataCamp
February 27, 2025 - The -1 step moves through the list in reverse order. In Python, reversing a list means changing the order of elements so that the last item appears first and the first item appears last.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › reversing a list in python?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Reversing a list in Python?
February 11, 2022 -
Hey, I'm learning lists in Python. When I try to use the reverse method to reverse my list it returns 'None'. I've read online that apparently this is because it doesn't actually change the list but I'm not sure what that means tbh. Even if it was a temporary modification, wouldn't it print that temporarily modified version of the list instead of printing 'None'? I found another solution (assuming the list is stored in my_list variable), print(my_list[::-1]). I understand that the -1 is referring to the end of the list (and maybe telling it to count back from there), but I have no idea what the '::' means. Would appreciate some help, thanks.
Top answer 1 of 5
2
I have no idea what the '::' means Please read about ranges in python. They are used all the time and you really need to understand them. There is reverse() and reversed() in python. One changes the list and the other doesn't change the list, but iterates through it from the back.
2 of 5
2
The way lists go in python is list[start_index:end_index:step]. By skipping the any of them they default to start_of_list:end_of_list:1. By doing ::-1, you're telling to go from the start of the list till the end by increasing the index by -1.
Python.org
discuss.python.org › python help
Beginner question: assigning variable to list.reverse() - Python Help - Discussions on Python.org
May 12, 2022 - Any idea why assigning variable Y to this does not result in anything? create a list of prime numbers x = [2, 3, 5, 7] reverse the order of list elements y=x.reverse() print(y)
Medium
cagll.medium.com › reverse-a-list-not-in-place-in-python-b76311604fae
Reverse a list not in place in Python | by cagil | Medium
October 13, 2017 - In [1]: lon = [1,2,3,4,5] In [2]: lon.reverse() In [3]: lon Out[3]: [5, 4, 3, 2, 1]In [4]: lon[::-1] Out[4]: [5, 4, 3, 2, 1] It is called a slice step and can be explained basicly as list[start:end:step]. Check out some examples below and have fun using it! In [11]: another_lon = list(range(1,10))In [12]: another_lon[0::1] Out[12]: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]In [13]: another_lon[0:9:1] Out[13]: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]In [19]: another_lon[1::1] Out[19]: [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]In [20]: another_lon[2::1] Out[20]: [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]In [25]: another_lon[2:8:1] Out[25]: [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]In
Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › tutorial › datastructures.html
5. Data Structures — Python 3.14.6 documentation
Return a shallow copy of the list. Similar to a[:]. ... >>> fruits = ['orange', 'apple', 'pear', 'banana', 'kiwi', 'apple', 'banana'] >>> fruits.count('apple') 2 >>> fruits.count('tangerine') 0 >>> fruits.index('banana') 3 >>> fruits.index('banana', 4) # Find next banana starting at position 4 6 >>> fruits.reverse() >>> fruits ['banana', 'apple', 'kiwi', 'banana', 'pear', 'apple', 'orange'] >>> fruits.append('grape') >>> fruits ['banana', 'apple', 'kiwi', 'banana', 'pear', 'apple', 'orange', 'grape'] >>> fruits.sort() >>> fruits ['apple', 'apple', 'banana', 'banana', 'grape', 'kiwi', 'orange', 'pear'] >>> fruits.pop() 'pear'
Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › library › stdtypes.html
Built-in Types — Python 3.14.6 documentation
The key corresponding to each item in the list is calculated once and then used for the entire sorting process. The default value of None means that list items are sorted directly without calculating a separate key value. The functools.cmp_to_key() utility is available to convert a 2.x style cmp function to a key function. reverse is a boolean value.
Simplilearn
simplilearn.com › home › resources › software development › how to reverse a list in python - a step by step tutorial
How to Reverse a List in Python - A Step by Step Tutorial
September 15, 2021 - The reverse() method is used to traverse the elements from the end to the beginning. Learn how to reverse a list in python with examples. Start now!
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takeuforward
takeuforward.org › data-structure › reverse-a-given-array
Reverse a given Array - Tutorial
Search for a command to run
LearnPython.com
learnpython.com › blog › reverse-range-in-python
How to Reverse a Range in Python | LearnPython.com
September 7, 2022 - As promised, the resulting list represents the initial range of [0, 1, 2, 3, 4] in the reverse order. This is just a small sample of what you can do with the sorted() function. You can even write custom sort functions to go with it. This function is also present in our Built-in Algorithms in Python ...
Real Python
realpython.com › python-reverse-list
Reverse Python Lists: Beyond .reverse() and reversed() – Real Python
June 28, 2023 - Now, how can you reverse a list in place by hand? A common technique is to loop through the first half of it while swapping each element with its mirror counterpart on the second half of the list. Python provides zero-based positive indices to walk sequences from left to right.
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › backward-iteration-in-python
Backward iteration in Python - GeeksforGeeks
July 11, 2025 - Python provides various methods for backward iteration, such as using negative indexing or employing built-in functions like reversed(). Use reversed() method when we simply need to loop backwards without modifying original sequence or there ...
Replit
replit.com › home › discover › how to reverse a list in python
How to reverse a list in Python | Replit
February 5, 2026 - Slicing with a negative step is a concise way to create a reversed copy of a list. The magic happens in the [::-1] notation, which is a specific use of Python's extended slice syntax, [start:stop:step]. This approach is handy because it returns ...
PySnacks
pysnacks.com › python-tutorials › how-reverse-python-lists-in-place-slicing-reversed
How to Reverse Python Lists | In-place, slicing & reversed()
May 18, 2020 - The reversed() method simply returns a list iterator that returns elements in reverse order. Below are the three built-in, common method used for reversing Python lists.