back away

verb

backed away; backing away; backs away

intransitive verb

: to move away (as from a stand on an issue or from a commitment)

Synonyms of back away

• withdraw
• retreat
• fall back
• retire
• drop back

Examples of back away in a Sentence

backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully

Recent Examples on the Web

Some progressives, including Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, have backed away from their earlier support of police defunding. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will almost certainly see the United States’ decisions to back away from defending its NATO allies as an indication that Washington will not stand by Taiwan and South Korea. — Franklin C. Miller, Foreign Affairs, 15 Sep. 2026

So, Moorehead had Lemon stand in the huddles — as a 12th player — and back away from the action when the others went to run the play. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Family offices were able to make opportunistic plays in oil and gas in the years after the Covid pandemic as traditional investors backed away from the sector due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for back away

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway