Antimetabole
Pattern
A B→B A — reversed word order
Definition
Repetition of words in reverse grammatical order to create a contrasting meaning.
Examples
Example 1
Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.
John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, 1961
The exact words "you" and "your country" swap syntactic roles in the reversed second clause
Example 2
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Proverbial saying
"Going" and "tough" reverse positions, turning description into action
Example 3
You like it; it likes you.
Early Dr Pepper advertising slogan
Subject and object swap in a simple, memorable reversal of exact words
AI Detection Note
AI can produce antimetabole when prompted but the reversals often feel forced or produce clunky phrasing. Naturally occurring, well-crafted antimetabole is a strong human signal.
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