BACKWARDS is a term used to describe an action or process that is done in the opposite direction of what is expected. The crossword solutions ABACK, LEANOVER, and INREVERSE all refer to this concept. ABACK is an adverb meaning 'in a backward direction'. LEANOVER is a verb meaning 'to bend or lean over backwards'. INREVERSE is an adverb meaning 'in a reverse order'. All three words can be used to describe the same concept of doing something in a backward direction.