work backward
Begin from end
To work backward is to start from an end point and move toward the beginning—reversing the usual direction of a process.
In problem-solving, you begin with the desired result and figure out what steps would lead there: We worked backward from the deadline to create our timeline.
In math, working backward means starting with an answer to find the original values.
- retraceFollow a previous path
- retrogradeMoving in reverse direction
- reverseTurn to opposite
- reverse orderSequence going backward
- undoReverse a prior action
deduce · unwind · deconstruct · backtrack · forensic investigation · crime scene · paper trail · analyze · end result · regress · debugging · mathematical proofs · reverse-engineer · dissect · hypothesis testing · decode · chess strategy · mirror image
work backwardbuild up
Grow by increments
inductive reasoning · synthesize · extrapolate · bottom-up approach
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