Synonyms of backed away

backed away

verb

past tense of back away

as in withdrew

to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)

backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully

Synonyms & Similar Words

• withdrew
• retreated
• retired
• fell back
• dropped back
• pulled out
• lost ground
• gave way
• fled
• receded
• evacuated
• gave ground
• backed down
• left
• flew
• climbed down
• pulled away
• detached
• recoiled
• departed
• shrank
• flinched
• bowed out
• chickened (out)
• abandoned
• went
• vacated
• disengaged
• quit
• backtracked
• disentangled
• backpedaled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advanced
• faced
• confronted
• dared
• bearded
• braved
• defied
• breasted
• outbraved
• brazened

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of backed away

Some progressives, including Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, have backed away from their earlier support of police defunding. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026

Family offices were able to make opportunistic plays in oil and gas in the years after the Covid pandemic as traditional investors backed away from the sector due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

And the Justice Department has backed away from the federal government’s long-standing interpretation of a landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting the right of disabled people to receive services in their communities. — Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 8 Sep. 2026

Traditional fashion media may have backed away from harsh sartorial criticism, but the internet certainly hasn’t. — Derek C. Blasberg, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026

Pomares backed away, avoiding what could have become another dangerous encounter. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026

Trump responded by threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum before both sides backed away. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

With officers initially unable to determine what had happened inside, police backed away, established a perimeter and treated the home as a barricaded situation. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Disney subsequently backed away from its demands and started to sell 30-second berths for $8 million to $9 million, according to people familiar with the talks. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026