Contrariwise is an adverb meaning 'on the contrary' or 'in opposition'. The term can be found in the crossword solutions ACROSS (6 letters), CROSSWISE (9 letters) and ELSE (4 letters). ACROSS means 'from side to side', CROSSWISE means 'in a direction perpendicular to the length of something' and ELSE means 'other than what has been mentioned'. Therefore, the term contrariwise can be interpreted as being in opposition to the direction of something, or in a different direction than what has been mentioned.