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
During an encounter, experts say to maintain eye contact with the animal, try to appear as large as possible, slowly back away without turning your back on the animal and to not run.
—
Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Guidance encourages people to speak loudly, remain calm and slowly back away.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
His decision to back away from the White House UFC face-off coincided with the Department of Justice’s latest release of files showcasing images, documents and flight logs tied to Epstein and his wealthy entourage.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Guidance encourages people to speak loudly, remain calm and slowly back away.
—Alan Gionet, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
His decision to back away from the White House UFC face-off coincided with the Department of Justice’s latest release of files showcasing images, documents and flight logs tied to Epstein and his wealthy entourage.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for back away
Recent Examples of Synonyms for back away
Verb
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Canadian national team skeleton coach Joe Cecchini has spoken out about the sudden national controversy surrounding his team's decision to withdraw athletes from an Olympic qualifier, costing American Katie Uhlaender a chance to make the Milan Cortina Winter Games.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Today, demand from institutional investors, corporate buyers, and long-term holders can contribute toward upward pressure on the Bitcoin price, especially when liquid supply is withdrawn or locked away.—
Jason Phillips,
Ascend Agency,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index retreated nearly 2%, leading losses in the region.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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The agents ultimately retreated without bringing Pretti into custody.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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One thing Grande isn’t showing signs of slowing down on in the near future is acting, having fallen back in love with the artform through her time on the Wicked set.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
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At least three large pieces of space debris — old satellites and spent rocket stages — fall back to Earth every day on average, but researchers have only a very limited understanding of where these potentially dangerous fragments land and what happens to them in the atmosphere.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Two of her fellow teacher-in-space contenders - both retired now - attended a memorial ceremony last week as the families of the astronauts gathered back at the launch site.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Adam Wainwright played for Team USA in the final year of his career in 2023, and Clayton Kershaw will play for America this year despite retiring after last season.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rieder’s odds topped 60% on Polymarket and Kalshi this weekend before dropping back slightly, while the previous front runner Warsh saw his odds fall sharply to around 30%.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to throw on 4th-and-short, but the Texans covered his primary target out of the backfield.—
Sam McDowell
January 23,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Back away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/back%20away. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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