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
The statement came amid reports that the DOJ was backing away from the fund.
—
Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 1 June 2026
The National Park Service recommends hikers stay at least 100 yards away from bears whenever possible, carry bear spray, avoid running during encounters and slowly back away if a bear is nearby.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Lindsey backed away onto a median and Milligan followed him.
—Caroline Zimmerman
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Trump’s favorite hometown newspaper — backing away from his previous support of the filibuster.
—Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for back away
Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 1 June 2026
The National Park Service recommends hikers stay at least 100 yards away from bears whenever possible, carry bear spray, avoid running during encounters and slowly back away if a bear is nearby.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Lindsey backed away onto a median and Milligan followed him.
—Caroline Zimmerman
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Trump’s favorite hometown newspaper — backing away from his previous support of the filibuster.
—Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
Verb
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This is because Roth IRAs allow withdrawals of your contributions penalty-free (there are, however, stipulations for withdrawing earnings).—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
12 June 2026
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The rationale was that any war Israel fought would inflame popular anti-Israeli sentiment in the Arab and Muslim world, scuttling the Abraham Accords as Arab governments would withdraw out of fear of backlash.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The officer retreated and fired several shots, killing the dog and injuring its owner, who was trying to secure the animal, police said.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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But retreating indoors can come at a cost.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
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This is the second consecutive playing of the event at TPC Toronto, so players will have some course knowledge to fall back on this year.—
Mike Fore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Goldberg said as the audience cheered over the news, eventually falling back in her chair in shock.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
Verb
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From a box-score perspective, Brind’Amour’s case ranks similarly to that of Rick Tocchet, Bill Guerin and Ray Whitney, who are all unlikely to be inducted given other sure-thing candidates about to retire around the league.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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Silverton has trailblazed a career through the food industry, but has no plans of retiring anytime soon.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
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The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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