How to Reverse a Bulleted or Numbered List in Microsoft Word

You work on a list on and on for hours and finally got done with it. That’s when you get a call from your manager saying that she wants the list you prepared in reverse order. What a tragedy! We would describe it as a tragedy only if you have to change the entire list in reverse order manually. Also, the word manually doesn’t exist for us. So we can never admit that you are facing a tragedy. Do we have your interest yet?

In this article, we explain how you can easily reverse the order of a bulleted list or a numbered list in Microsoft Word. By reversing, we mean that, after reversal, the very last element of the list would come first from the beginning, the second last element would come second from the beginning, and so on. Matching perfectly with your requirement? Read on, then!

Section 1: Sample Data

In this article, we are expecting that you have a list of either of the types, bulleted or numbered.

Please refer to the screenshot below for the bulleted list sample and for the numbered list sample.

 

1 Sample Data Min

 

Now let’s see how we can reverse the above shown lists with some simple steps.

Section 2: How to Reverse a Bulleted List in Word

To reverse a list, in this article, we use the sort functionality. So it’s best if we convert the bulleted list to numbered list first. Let’s see how that can be done.



Step 1: Simply click and drag to select the entire bulleted list.

Now click on the HOME tab at the top and then click on the Numbering icon under the Paragraph options.

 

16 Convert List Min

 

Step 2: That’s it. Your bulleted list is now successfully converted to a numbered list. To reverse the numbered list, you can now follow the steps in Section 2.



 

17 Converted Min

 

Section 3: How to Reverse a Numbered List in Word

Step 1: Firstly, select the whole list.

Now, click on the point on the document where you want the reversed list to be at.

Click on the HOME tab from the top ribbon and then click on the dropdown arrow associated with the Paste button.

 

2 Copy Data Min

 

Step 2: From the Paste Options, click on Paste Special.

 

3 Paste Special Min

 

Step 3: On the Paste Special window, the radio button corresponding to the option Paste will be selected by default.

Now, click on the Unformatted Text option under the As section.

As next, hit the OK button.

 

4 Unformatted Min

 

Your list will now be pasted as plain text, without any formatting.

Step 4Select the newly pasted list entirely and then click on the INSERT tab at the top and then click on the Table button.

 

5 Insert Table Min

 

Step 5: From the list of options that appear, click on the one that says Convert Text to Table.

 

6 Text To Table Min

 

Step 6: Accept the default options, in the Convert Text to Table window, by hitting the OK button.

 

7 Ok Min

 

That’s it. You can now see that your text is neatly converted to a table with two columns.

Step 7: Click anywhere inside the newly created table to view the contextual tab TABLE TOOLS and the 2 sub-tabs under it, which are DESIGN and LAYOUT.

It is the LAYOUT tab that you have to click next. Under the LAYOUT options, click on the SORT button.

 

8 Sort Min

 

Step 8: Make sure the Sort by column dropdown is set to Column 1. Now click on the radio button corresponding to the Descending option as shown below and finally hit the OK button.

 

9 Descending Min

 

Step 9: The sorting is now successfully done, your list is reversed.

Now let’s get rid of the first column. For that click and select the whole first column.

 

10 Select Min

 

Step 10: Now right click on the selected column and hit the option Delete Columns.

 

11 Delete Columns Min

 

Now you only have the list left, in the reverse order. Let’s finish up the job by converting your table back to text and then to a numbered list.

Step 11: Click anywhere on the table and then click on the LAYOUT contextual tab at the top once again.

This time, click on the Convert to Text option.

 

12 Convert To Text Min



 

Step 12: When the following window appears, simply hit the OK button.

Actually, this table is not relevant to us as our table now has only one column.

 

13 Ok Min

 

Your table is now successfully converted to text. Let’s make it a numbered list now.

Step 13: Select the entire text and then click on the HOME tab at the top.

Finally, hit the Numbering icon under the Paragraph options.

 

14 Bulleted List Min

 

Step 14: There you are! Your list is now reversed, it’s time to relax!

 

15 Reversed Min

 

Please tell us in the comments section if you are stuck at any of the steps, we are always happy to help.

Stay tuned for more mind-boggling tips, tricks, how-tos, and hacks. Happy geeking!