as in to withdraw
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)
backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully
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Recent Examples of back away
With his gun raised, Bloemendaal backs away from the armed man and instructs his fellow officers to do the same.
—
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
Trump instead floated the idea of launching lower-level talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, which are scheduled for mid-June, and backed away from the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The tentative new deal would reportedly allow anyone making less than $500,000 a year to claim the SALT deduction but would not be doubled for married couples, a key demand that the suburban lawmakers have apparently now backed away from.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
Trump backed away, softened the tone of his relationship with Fed Chair Powell and moved on to tilt with other windmills.
—Bruce Yandle, Twin Cities, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
Trump instead floated the idea of launching lower-level talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, which are scheduled for mid-June, and backed away from the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
The tentative new deal would reportedly allow anyone making less than $500,000 a year to claim the SALT deduction but would not be doubled for married couples, a key demand that the suburban lawmakers have apparently now backed away from.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
Trump backed away, softened the tone of his relationship with Fed Chair Powell and moved on to tilt with other windmills.
—Bruce Yandle, Twin Cities, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
Verb
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In the Trump era, many have speculated about whether or to what degree the United States will withdraw from its leading role in the world.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Hall, on the other hand, finished just six strokes behind the champion, despite nearly withdrawing 48 hours earlier.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Groups of demonstrators retreated to nearby streets, only to cut back and regroup near the Stonewall Inn and Christopher Park.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 June 2025
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Many analysts believe Iran will retreat, reassemble its nuclear scientists and rebuild its program.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
24 June 2025
Verb
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With a 3-over 73 on his 29th birthday, the triple-bogey on No. 1 being his first since the 2024 BMW Championship, Scheffler fell back to the cluster at 7-under.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
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Ever since that buzzy vodka cocktail fell back into favor in 2021—and flew onto cocktail menus around the world—java is popping up all over menus in classic and unexpected ways.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Many in the gay community have expressed interest in retiring abroad.—
David Rae,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Former Valley Center High School and San Diego State quarterback Kevin Craft has been named head football coach at Riverside City College, taking over for his father Tom, who retired at the end of last season.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
Verb
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However, conditions will dry out again on Sunday with humidity dropping back to 20% and winds gusting up to 25 mph in the afternoon.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
29 June 2025
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Wirtz would provide extra creativity, but with Kane often dropping back and Olise excelling in the half-spaces, there is potential for this to be a clunky fit on paper.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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