How do I use reverse list in Python to loop through a list backwards?

General Discussions
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1

I want to iterate over a list in reverse order using Python.

What’s the most efficient or Pythonic way to handle a python reverse list scenario, especially when looping?

Are there any differences between using reversed() and slicing like my_list[::-1]?

Would love a quick example!

2

The cleanest way I’ve seen for looping through a list in reverse is using Python’s built-in reversed() function.

It doesn’t actually reverse the list in memory, it just returns an iterator that walks through it backwards.

So if you don’t need to modify the list and just want to loop:

for item in reversed(my_list):
    print(item)

This is super readable, works on all sequences, and avoids creating a full reversed copy.

3

If you’re dealing with list slicing and prefer something quick and concise, my_list[::-1] is a great shorthand. It actually returns a reversed copy of the list, so it’s useful when you might also need to reuse the reversed version later:

for item in my_list[::-1]:
    print(item)

Just keep in mind that this allocates new memory, so if your list is huge and memory matters, reversed() might be the better pick.