# What Does Revert Mean? Revert Meaning in Git and at Work

> To revert means to undo a change and go back to how things were before.

- **Term:** revert
- **Part of speech:** verb
- **Pronunciation:** /rɪˈvɜːrt/
- **English level (CEFR):** B2
- **Register:** Neutral, Both
- **Region:** US and UK
- **Topic:** [Code and Git terms](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/software-development-terms.md)
- **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/revert
- **Last updated:** 2026-10-27

## Meaning

To revert means to undo a change and go back to how things were before. In Git, "revert a commit" means adding a new commit that cancels the old one, so the history stays intact.

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.

## When you hear it

We need to revert that commit because it introduced a critical bug in production.

## 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."

## What native speakers say

- "Let's revert this change."
- "We should revert to the previous version."
- "I'm going to revert that commit."

## Common mistakes

- ✗ "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's revert the changes." (Back is redundant; revert already means going backwards.)

## Be careful

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

## Word forms

| Part of speech | Word | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. |
| noun | a revert | I opened a revert for last night's change. |


## Collocations

- **revert a commit**: The most common phrase in version control; means to undo a specific commit.
- **revert to**: Used to indicate going back to a specific previous state or version.
- **revert changes**: A general way to say undo modifications without specifying commit details.
- **revert immediately**: Emphasizes urgency, often used during incidents or when bugs are discovered.

## Synonyms

- **undo**: More general; undo works for any change. Revert is more specific to version control.
- **rollback**: Often used for entire deployments or system states; revert is typically for single commits.
- **reverse**: Similar meaning but less common in tech. Revert is the standard term.

## Opposites

- commit
- deploy
- apply

## Practice

This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/revert

## FAQ

### What does revert mean?

Revert means go back to an earlier state. "We reverted the deploy" means the team undid the release and went back to the previous version.

### What does "revert changes" mean?

It means undo the changes that were made. In Git or a code review, "please revert your changes to config.yml" means put that file back the way it was.

### What does "please revert" mean in an email?

In Indian English, "please revert" often means "please reply". Many British and American readers find this confusing, so in international teams "please reply" or "let me know" is clearer.

### What is the difference between revert and rollback?

Developers revert a commit by adding a new commit that undoes it. Ops teams roll back a deployment by switching production to an older version. The result is similar, but the words belong to different tools.

### What does revert mean in software engineering?

To revert means to undo a code change by using version control to go back to a previous state. It is commonly done when a commit introduces bugs or unwanted behavior.

### How do you use revert in a sentence at work?

You can say We need to revert that commit, We are reverting the changes now, or I will revert this pull request. Always be clear about what you are reverting (a commit, PR, or changes).

### Is revert formal or informal?

Revert is neutral and professional. It is used in standup meetings, code reviews, incident reports, and team chats. It is the standard term in tech regardless of context.

### Can I revert a commit that is already in production?

Yes. You can revert a commit in production by creating a new commit that undoes the changes. This is safer than force-pushing because it preserves the full history of what happened.


## Related

- [commit](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/commit.md)
- [rollback](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/rollback.md)
- [pull request](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/pull-request.md)
- [branch](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/branch.md)
- [version control](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/version-control.md)
- Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md
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