back away

verb

Definition of back awaynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of back away During the 911 response, Massey picked up a pot of boiling water from her stove, prompting Grayson to back away, according to court testimony. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 If spotted by a bear, people should slowly back away and not run, which could trigger a chase response. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 22 Aug. 2026 Hasan Piker this week again cast Hamas in a favorable light, refusing to back away from his support for the terrorist organization that has controlled Gaza, despite backlash from many Democrats. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026 In the video, Chacon picks up the gun, and officers back away from the vehicle yelling at Chacon to put his weapon down. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
  1. withdraw
  2. retreat
  3. fall back
  4. retire
  5. drop back
Verb
  • When combined with a hot blanket of the humidity the city has endured throughout the summer, players could be forced to withdraw from their matches or push through, risking injury.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Although the proposal will remain on Thursday’s agenda because of the 72-hour posting requirement, Kayatta said it will effectively be withdrawn during the meeting with authorization from Board President Tara Jeane.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of withdraw
Verb
  • Officials say people who encounter a wolf should not run, but rather make noises, maintain eye contact and retreat slowly.
    — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There was television, which, starting in the nineteen-fifties, kept kids indoors; also, houses got a lot bigger, and families smaller, so that most kids suddenly had the option of retreating to their own bedrooms.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of retreat
Verb
  • His footage reveals the movement of plasma within the loops, including 'coronal rain' as material cools and falls back towards the lower solar atmosphere along magnetic field lines.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • There is really no way to talk about the film unless one falls back on wispy vagaries and pointed allusions to cinematic precedents, or just explaining the act one set-up and then stopping with the warning that things get really weird thereafter.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of fall back
Verb
  • Cathy Engelbert will retire as WNBA commissioner at the end of the year, ending a tenure of seven-plus years that saw both tremendous growth and some turmoil for the league.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Murray leaned on her relationship with teammates, the Nebraska staff and John Cook, the coach who recruited her — and retired after the 2024 season — to survive that time.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of retire
Verb
  • The soggy weekend comes as temperatures are expected to climb again in Los Angeles this week, soaring into the mid-90s by Wednesday and Thursday and dropping back into the 80s next weekend.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the race continued to unfold, Gasly steadily dropped back.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of drop back

Browse Nearby Words

back-and-forths
back away
backbeat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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