We shall take a stab at REVERSALS today. These are clues which contain the meaning of the answer, as always, and where the answer is also either hidden or indicated by some wordplay, but in the reverse direction. The setter will indicate this type of clue with words such as ‘around’, ‘backwards’, ‘revolutionary’, ‘upset’, ‘returns’, ‘turned’, ‘reflected’, ‘in the mirror’, ‘reversal’, ‘in retrospect’ and so on. If the clue is a DOWN clue, the reversal indicator will be words like ‘up’, ‘rising’ and ‘going up’.

Let us understand this type of clue with a few examples:

Role reversal in carriage (4)
The answer is 4 letters long and means carriage. And you can arrive at the answer by also looking for a 4 letter word for role and spell it backwards. And so if we take the word PART (which means ‘role’) and spell it backwards, we get the answer TRAP.
Cross, upset by hospital, then relieved (6)
The answer means ‘cross’ but not as in ‘angry’. Think Mendel. Here the reversal indicator is ‘upset’ and so we have a reversal of BY-H + (a 3-letter-word that means relieved) which gives us HY-B+RID = HYBRID. Not an easy clue, I admit.
Organizations in disputes still around (3-3)
Here the answer is buried in the clue and it means organizations. So if we look closely, we see in the clue …diSPUTES… And going backwards, we get the answer SET-UPS.
Heathen opening up before article appears (5) – this is a DOWN clue
The answer is 5 letters long, means heathen and is a charade of (a word that means opening but backwards) + an article (A/AN/THE). This gives us PAG (gap backwards) + AN = PAGAN.

Here are a few for you to try on your own. I am going to underline the reversal indicators to help you a little.
Revolutionary conflict not refined (3)
Put out alternative after return of manuscript (7)
When you see ‘manuscript’, you should know that the letters MS are being clued.
Heads turned in shock (4)
The word ‘shock’ is used as a verb here.
Rest on instrument, lying back (4)
Serve up a drink fit for a king (5) – this is a DOWN clue