Meaning
The other way around means in the opposite position, direction, or order; reversed from the normal or expected way. It is often used to indicate that something should be swapped, flipped, or considered from the reverse perspective.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Adverbial phrase
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Common structures:
- A instead of B, or vice versa → "It’s not A helping B; it’s the other way around."
- Reversed order or arrangement → "The shoes are on the wrong feet—you’ve got them the other way around."
Common Phrases
- It’s the other way around.
- Got it the other way around.
- The situation is the other way around.
Collocations
- get the other way around
- see it the other way around
- explain it the other way around
Examples
- You think I’m angry with her, but it’s actually the other way around.
- The teacher helps the students, not the other way around.
- You’ve put the batteries in the other way around; flip them over.
- He believes she depends on him, but it’s the other way around.
- The roles should be the other way around—you’re the mentor, not the student.
- The sign was hung the other way around, so people couldn’t read it.
- They said I was jealous of him, but it was the other way around.
Synonyms or Related
- vice versa
- in reverse
- conversely
Antonym
- the right way around
- correctly positioned