diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/doc/Anchor and Alias Operators.md b/pkg/yqlib/doc/Anchor and Alias Operators.md
index e3682dc..dfbdc92 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/doc/Anchor and Alias Operators.md	
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/doc/Anchor and Alias Operators.md	
@@ -3,6 +3,97 @@ Use the `alias` and `anchor` operators to read and write yaml aliases and anchor
 `yq` supports merge aliases (like `<<: *blah`) however this is no longer in the standard yaml spec (1.2) and so `yq` will automatically add the `!!merge` tag to these nodes as it is effectively a custom tag.
 
 
+## Merge one map
+see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+- &CENTER
+  x: 1
+  y: 2
+- &LEFT
+  x: 0
+  y: 2
+- &BIG
+  r: 10
+- &SMALL
+  r: 1
+- !!merge <<: *CENTER
+  r: 10
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.[4] | explode(.)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+x: 1
+y: 2
+r: 10
+```
+
+## Merge multiple maps
+see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+- &CENTER
+  x: 1
+  y: 2
+- &LEFT
+  x: 0
+  y: 2
+- &BIG
+  r: 10
+- &SMALL
+  r: 1
+- !!merge <<:
+    - *CENTER
+    - *BIG
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.[4] | explode(.)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+r: 10
+x: 1
+y: 2
+```
+
+## Override
+see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html
+
+Given a sample.yml file of:
+```yaml
+- &CENTER
+  x: 1
+  y: 2
+- &LEFT
+  x: 0
+  y: 2
+- &BIG
+  r: 10
+- &SMALL
+  r: 1
+- !!merge <<:
+    - *BIG
+    - *LEFT
+    - *SMALL
+  x: 1
+```
+then
+```bash
+yq eval '.[4] | explode(.)' sample.yml
+```
+will output
+```yaml
+r: 10
+x: 1
+y: 2
+```
+
 ## Get anchor
 Given a sample.yml file of:
 ```yaml
@@ -183,9 +274,9 @@ bar:
   c: bar_c
 foobarList:
   b: bar_b
-  a: foo_a
-  thing: bar_thing
+  thing: foo_thing
   c: foobarList_c
+  a: foo_a
 foobar:
   c: foo_c
   a: foo_a
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
index c1566bc..41e9712 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases.go
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ func explodeNode(node *yaml.Node, context Context) error {
 			} else {
 				if valueNode.Kind == yaml.SequenceNode {
 					log.Debugf("an alias merge list!")
-					for index := 0; index < len(valueNode.Content); index = index + 1 {
+					for index := len(valueNode.Content) - 1; index >= 0; index = index - 1 {
 						aliasNode := valueNode.Content[index]
 						err := applyAlias(node, aliasNode.Alias, index, context.ChildContext(newContent))
 						if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
index 2af815d..fb64f85 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operator_anchors_aliases_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,36 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+var specDocument = `- &CENTER { x: 1, y: 2 }
+- &LEFT { x: 0, y: 2 }
+- &BIG { r: 10 }
+- &SMALL { r: 1 }
+`
+
+var expectedSpecResult = "D0, P[4], (!!map)::x: 1\ny: 2\nr: 10\n"
+
 var anchorOperatorScenarios = []expressionScenario{
+	{
+		description:    "Merge one map",
+		subdescription: "see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html",
+		document:       specDocument + "- << : *CENTER\n  r: 10\n",
+		expression:     ".[4] | explode(.)",
+		expected:       []string{expectedSpecResult},
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Merge multiple maps",
+		subdescription: "see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html",
+		document:       specDocument + "- << : [ *CENTER, *BIG ]\n",
+		expression:     ".[4] | explode(.)",
+		expected:       []string{"D0, P[4], (!!map)::r: 10\nx: 1\ny: 2\n"},
+	},
+	{
+		description:    "Override",
+		subdescription: "see https://yaml.org/type/merge.html",
+		document:       specDocument + "- << : [ *BIG, *LEFT, *SMALL ]\n  x: 1\n",
+		expression:     ".[4] | explode(.)",
+		expected:       []string{"D0, P[4], (!!map)::r: 10\nx: 1\ny: 2\n"},
+	},
 	{
 		description: "Get anchor",
 		document:    `a: &billyBob cat`,
@@ -91,9 +120,9 @@ bar:
     c: bar_c
 foobarList:
     b: bar_b
-    a: foo_a
-    thing: bar_thing
+    thing: foo_thing
     c: foobarList_c
+    a: foo_a
 foobar:
     c: foo_c
     a: foo_a
@@ -106,7 +135,7 @@ foobar:
 		expression: `.foo* | explode(.) | (. style="flow")`,
 		expected: []string{
 			"D0, P[foo], (!!map)::{a: foo_a, thing: foo_thing, c: foo_c}\n",
-			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::{b: bar_b, a: foo_a, thing: bar_thing, c: foobarList_c}\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::{b: bar_b, thing: foo_thing, c: foobarList_c, a: foo_a}\n",
 			"D0, P[foobar], (!!map)::{c: foo_c, a: foo_a, thing: foobar_thing}\n",
 		},
 	},
@@ -116,7 +145,7 @@ foobar:
 		expression: `.foo* | explode(explode(.)) | (. style="flow")`,
 		expected: []string{
 			"D0, P[foo], (!!map)::{a: foo_a, thing: foo_thing, c: foo_c}\n",
-			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::{b: bar_b, a: foo_a, thing: bar_thing, c: foobarList_c}\n",
+			"D0, P[foobarList], (!!map)::{b: bar_b, thing: foo_thing, c: foobarList_c, a: foo_a}\n",
 			"D0, P[foobar], (!!map)::{c: foo_c, a: foo_a, thing: foobar_thing}\n",
 		},
 	},
diff --git a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
index cd5cbbe..6c1e3f0 100644
--- a/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
+++ b/pkg/yqlib/operators_test.go
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func testScenario(t *testing.T, s *expressionScenario) {
 		t.Error(fmt.Errorf("%v: %v", err, s.expression))
 		return
 	}
-	test.AssertResultComplexWithContext(t, s.expected, resultsToString(context.MatchingNodes), fmt.Sprintf("exp: %v\ndoc: %v", s.expression, s.document))
+	test.AssertResultComplexWithContext(t, s.expected, resultsToString(context.MatchingNodes), fmt.Sprintf("desc: %v\nexp: %v\ndoc: %v", s.description, s.expression, s.document))
 }
 
 func resultsToString(results *list.List) []string {