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SQLSimplified
string

REVERSE()

Returns the characters of a string in reverse order.

Description

REVERSE flips a string so its last character becomes the first. It's useful for palindrome checks, reversing encoded values, or pulling a suffix when you don't know its length (reverse, take from the left, reverse back).

Syntax

REVERSE(string)

Parameters

NameDescriptionOptional
stringThe text to reverse.No

Return Type

Returns a VARCHAR.

Examples

Employees & Departments

Loading database engine...

Employees & Departments

Loading database engine...

Grab a trailing segment

To take the last N chars without knowing the length: REVERSE(LEFT(REVERSE(s), N)).

Common Mistakes

  • Reversing numbers as text. REVERSE works on strings; cast numbers to text first if you mean to reverse their digits.
  • Expecting word reversal. It reverses characters, not words.
  • Unicode surprises. Some engines reverse by code point, which can look odd for multi-byte characters.

See also: SUBSTRING, LENGTH, CONCAT.

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