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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of back away
After a few moments, police officers ordered them to back away from the front row.
—
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Spotify has long backed away from wanting to fully own and operate its own shows, finding more value in serving as a tech, monetization, and distribution platform for podcasters.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
And yet the Republican administration and its congressional allies are showing no signs of caving to Democratic demands or backing away from threats to use the opportunity to pursue deeper cuts to the federal workforce.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Video showed the man backing away from Sanchez, who stands 6-feet-2-inches, before the former quarterback followed then ran after the man, grabbing and throwing him toward the wall of the Westin, another downtown hotel, police wrote in the affidavit.
—IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Spotify has long backed away from wanting to fully own and operate its own shows, finding more value in serving as a tech, monetization, and distribution platform for podcasters.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
And yet the Republican administration and its congressional allies are showing no signs of caving to Democratic demands or backing away from threats to use the opportunity to pursue deeper cuts to the federal workforce.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Video showed the man backing away from Sanchez, who stands 6-feet-2-inches, before the former quarterback followed then ran after the man, grabbing and throwing him toward the wall of the Westin, another downtown hotel, police wrote in the affidavit.
—IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
Verb
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Former North Crowley standout Ka’Morreun Pimpton also withdrew his name from the portal Sunday.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Jan. 2026
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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew its troops last week following a deadline from Saudi Arabia.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As climate change causes sea ice to retreat and the melting zone to expand, these microbes are expected to add more nitrogen to the ocean.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
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Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The 73-year-old former professional boxer and film star was served an eviction notice last month, People reported, after allegedly falling back on his rent to the tune of $59,100.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
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Temperatures are expected to fall back to more seasonal levels, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s next weekend and into early next week.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Raimondo Orsi had already gone back to Argentina to look after his sick mother, and Luis Monti had retired.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Alex Morgan speaks during the ceremony to retire her Number 13 jersey following NWSL match between San Diego Wave and Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium on September 07, 2025 in San Diego, California.—
Jessica Golden,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Orange quarterback Rickie Collins dropped back and threw a deep pass intended for receiver Darius Johnson.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
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And Bosa appeared to have had a path to Mahomes, only to stop his charge and drop back into coverage instead.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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