Synonyms of back away

back away

verb

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

• withdraw
• retreat
• fall back
• retire
• drop back
• pull out
• give way
• lose ground
• recede
• flee
• give ground
• evacuate
• back down
• fly
• chicken (out)
• climb down
• pull away
• leave
• shrink
• bow out
• recoil
• depart
• detach
• flinch
• go
• abandon
• disengage
• disentangle
• vacate
• quit
• backtrack
• backpedal

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advance
• face
• breast
• confront
• dare
• beard
• defy
• brave
• outbrave
• brazen

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of back away

By now, Switzerland, Belgium, and Japan have all backed away from their phaseout goals. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025

When lawmakers voted to overturn Yoon’s surprise decree, security forces backed away. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025

But there’s something abject about taking up such a fraught subject, wringing every ounce of suspense and dramatic potential out of it, and then backing away as though Tim’s arc is just another story of sad enlightenment. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025

But there’s something abject about taking up such a fraught subject, wringing every ounce of suspense and dramatic potential out of it, and then backing away as though Tim’s arc is just another story of sad enlightenment. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025