reading backwards; reverse reading
Refers to the act of reading text in reverse order, often for wordplay, puzzles, or deciphering. Can also refer to interpreting a situation in the opposite way.
This code makes sense when you read it backwards.
He always reads people's words backwards and takes them badly.
Compound of 逆 (reverse) and 読み (reading). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is transparently formed from its components.