as in withdrew
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 backed away
Strategy — The bitcoin treasury firm gained more than 3% after MSCI backed away from its plan to remove digital asset treasury companies from MSCI Indexes.
—
Darla Mercado, Cfp®,liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
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
McIlroy backed away, drawing jeers, before Lowry came over to settle him.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Benson, however, remained hesitant and eventually fully backed away.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
The request comes after the Sacramento Zoological Society in April backed away from an agreement to relocate the zoo to Elk Grove.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, the committee backed away from its most controversial proposal that called for states to require those who want a COVID-19 vaccine to get a prescription.
—Will Stone, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
But some have since backed away, discouraged by long product development cycles and inflated early valuations.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Potter was an offensive tackle for Boise State from 2007 to 2011, under head coach Chris Petersen and mainly for OC Bryan Harsin, who never backed away from being tricky.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 Sep. 2025
Darla Mercado, Cfp®,liz Napolitano, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
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
McIlroy backed away, drawing jeers, before Lowry came over to settle him.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
Benson, however, remained hesitant and eventually fully backed away.
—Alex Ross, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
The request comes after the Sacramento Zoological Society in April backed away from an agreement to relocate the zoo to Elk Grove.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, the committee backed away from its most controversial proposal that called for states to require those who want a COVID-19 vaccine to get a prescription.
—Will Stone, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
But some have since backed away, discouraged by long product development cycles and inflated early valuations.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
Potter was an offensive tackle for Boise State from 2007 to 2011, under head coach Chris Petersen and mainly for OC Bryan Harsin, who never backed away from being tricky.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed 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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Unsurprisngly, Meg White, who retreated from public life and hasn’t been heard from for over a decade, was a no-show.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
-
People retreated in fear that more would come.—
Kim Lane Scheppele,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Owens and her parents, KGO 810 radio legend Ronn Owens and former KCBS reporter Jan Black, moved to Arizona during the coronavirus pandemic, after Ronn Owens retired from KGO-810 after 46 years.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Christy officially retired from professional boxing in 2012.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
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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Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier dropped back to pass only to find Rodriguez in coverage.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The suspect started to run away, then pulled out a gun and fired at the homeowner before continuing to flee, police said.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Pullouts feature an actual mattress that’s, well, pulled out from the sofa in some way.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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