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Code & Deliveryrevertverb · /rɪˈvɜːrt/

How to Say "revert" at Work

In simple English

In software development, revert is a critical action used when code changes cause problems or are no longer needed. When a developer reverts code, they are using version control (like Git) to undo a previous commit and restore an earlier, working version. This is faster and safer than manually deleting code. The term is used in team discussions, pull request reviews, and when dealing with bugs or failed deployments. For example, if a new feature breaks the application, the team might decide to revert it immediately to restore functionality, then investigate the issue separately. Revert is distinct from delete because it preserves the history of what was changed and why.

How to undo code changes and go back to a previous working version using version control.

Part of Code Reviews & PRs in the Knowledge Base.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓Let us revert this change.
✓We should revert to the previous version.
✓I am going to revert that commit.

Real examples

in a standup

"We discovered a memory leak in yesterday's release, so we reverted the commit this morning."

in a code review

"This PR looks good, but if tests fail in staging, we can always revert it quickly."

in a team meeting

"The database migration caused performance issues, so we reverted to the previous schema."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Often confused with rollback. Revert typically undoes a single commit or change; rollback often refers to entire deployments or database states.

✕We need to revert the database backup.
✓We need to restore the database from a backup.— Revert is for undoing code commits, not for database restores. Use restore for data recovery.
✕Can you revert the feature?
✓Can you revert the commit that added the feature?— Be specific: revert the commit or the pull request, not the abstract feature.
✕Let us revert back the changes.
✓Let us revert the changes.— Back is redundant; revert already means going backwards.

Other forms

verb

revert

"I will revert this commit if the tests fail."

verb

reverted

"She reverted the last three commits to fix the deployment."

verb

reverting

"We are reverting the change now to restore the service."

noun

revert

"A quick revert saved us from a longer outage."

Often used with

revert a commitThe most common phrase in version control; means to undo a specific commit.
revert toUsed to indicate going back to a specific previous state or version.
revert changesA general way to say undo modifications without specifying commit details.
revert immediatelyEmphasizes urgency, often used during incidents or when bugs are discovered.

Similar words

undoMore general; undo works for any change. Revert is more specific to version control.
rollbackOften used for entire deployments or system states; revert is typically for single commits.
reverseSimilar meaning but less common in tech. Revert is the standard term.

Opposites

commitdeployapply

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. A critical bug was introduced by a recent commit. What do you say in the chat?

Complete the sentence

2. If the feature breaks production, we will _______ the pull request within minutes.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses revert correctly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English using revert: 'The deployment had a problem, so we went back to the code before the change.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "revert" in a standup this week?

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