backward-looking

adjective

Synonyms of backward-lookingnext
disapproving
: relating to the past : old-fashioned
backward-looking ideas/plans

Examples of backward-looking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In a restaurant town flooded with Frenchness, Chateau Royale offers a welcome sense of cheeky self-awareness, with a backward-looking menu that embraces all the Gallic pomp and dairy fat of an earlier age. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025 However, others believe the backward-looking data will do little to ease current concerns about the employment situation, which continues to exhibit signs of difficulty. Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025 The Bank of England FPC noted that backward-looking metrics in the U.S. are one particular place to look for stretched valuations, and offered a striking comparison. Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 That’s especially true when compared with the director’s usual, backward-looking fare, which has dominated his oeuvre during the past two decades. David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025 Boards must evolve from being consumers of backward-looking data to stewards of foresight, able to anticipate risks and seize emerging opportunities. Michael Hilb, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 The backward-looking inquiries are taking place even as the Republican administration’s national security agencies are confronting global threats. Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025 Still, the backward-looking report about the labor market failed to assuage investor fears in the aftermath of sweeping tariffs issued by Trump earlier this week. Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2025

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“Backward-looking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backward-looking. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.

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