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)

Example Sentences

backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully
Recent Examples on the Web Say your piece and back away. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2022 The outcry forced the FTX chief to back away. Gregory Zuckerman And Alexander Osipovich, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 Sometimes the only option is to back away. Time, 26 Oct. 2022 Slowly and calmly back away. Alex Hazlett, SELF, 24 Oct. 2022 When the judge asked these other parties to propose a solution, Pitt, like his fellow defendants, backed away. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2023 Draw your shoulders down and back away from your ears. Women's Health, 25 Mar. 2023 When the commission adopted that recommendation, the Senate backed away from introducing their bill. Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Mar. 2023 Republicans have backed away from talk of cutting Medicare. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back away.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of back away was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near back away

Cite this Entry

“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back%20away. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on back away

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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