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
Polling has shown that Latinos in the state, as well as nationwide, are beginning to back away from the Republican Party due to concerns over the economy and immigration enforcement.
—
Ashley Lopez, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
About two minutes into the exchange, Jones begins galloping toward Prignano, who is able to back away and keep his distance from him as the two are in the middle of the street.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Khamenei didn’t back away, instead doubling down on support for Iran’s proxies.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
While their discussions remain private, some have wondered whether aggressive regulatory threats could push Netflix to back away from the deal, especially with PSKY making its regulatory confidence a centerpiece of its public campaign to assuage WBD shareholders.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back away
Ashley Lopez, NPR, 3 Mar. 2026
About two minutes into the exchange, Jones begins galloping toward Prignano, who is able to back away and keep his distance from him as the two are in the middle of the street.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Khamenei didn’t back away, instead doubling down on support for Iran’s proxies.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
While their discussions remain private, some have wondered whether aggressive regulatory threats could push Netflix to back away from the deal, especially with PSKY making its regulatory confidence a centerpiece of its public campaign to assuage WBD shareholders.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
Verb
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His son withdrew from high school.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Worries about a possible data center coming to Spring Hill have been put to rest, after the applicant on Friday withdrew its request to rezone more than 300 acres of agricultural land for industrial use.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On her island home in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, the shoreline has visibly retreated within her short lifetime, with beaches eroded, coastal trees uprooted and some homes now barely 3 feet from the sea at high tide.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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The real horror in Frankenstein was a brilliant man who unleashed power and retreated from accountability.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Oil prices spiked near $120 per barrel before falling back Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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In early trading Monday morning, both indexes had fallen back slightly.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Flores issued a one-out walk and another single in the sixth inning, but the second-year right-hander retired two straight HCU batters to get out of the jam.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
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Even as her hard-line tactics have shown some success, Sheinbaum has not renounced the precepts of López Obrador, who, while retired, remains a revered and influential figure.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 54-year-old comedian with a beard full of gray stubble drops back to pass, launching a tight spiral underneath SoFi’s massive technicolor halo scoreboard hovering above a sea of empty stands.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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If hostilities end quickly, oil prices could drop back to a range of $60 to $70 per barrel , but any attack by Tehran on any neighboring facilities could mean Brent prices above $100 a barrel, according to Francisco Blanch, commodity strategist at Bank of America.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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