working backward
phraseUK /ˈwɜːkɪŋ ˈbækwəd/
US /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ ˈbækwərd/
Starting from the answer and going step by step to the beginning.
We solved the maze by working backward from the exit.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A math strategy where you undo steps to find a starting number.
Working backward, she added 5 to get the number she began with.
3. Planning a project by starting from the deadline and moving to today.
The team scheduled the launch by working backward from the due date.
4. Figuring out how something was made by studying the finished result.
By working backward from the cake, he guessed the recipe.