juniorSQL
What is ORDER BY and LIMIT?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
ORDER BY sorts results and LIMIT restricts rows.
Deep explanation
ORDER BY arranges data; LIMIT controls number of returned rows.
Real-world example
Top 10 oldest users.
Common mistakes
- Using LIMIT without ORDER BY gives inconsistent results.
Follow-up questions
- Can LIMIT be combined with OFFSET?
- Does ORDER BY affect performance?