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

Between 2002 and 2003, the IRS flirted with building a free online filing system and then backed away, in part owing to private tax preparers that didn’t want to lose their grip on the process. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026

Lopez clarified on Friday that the agency had informed Cal Fire on how to obtain search warrants with the county, but then backed away. —Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026

Video footage from the apartment complex showed Kirkland speaking to several people in the Jeep before backing away and collapsing, the court document said. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026

Since the pandemic, private equity funds and other institutional investors have backed away from oil and gas in part due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for back away

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