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
Even before Republican leaders abruptly backed away from redistricting, Wednesday’s special session felt unlike any other.
—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Under his leadership, the FDA backed away from a plan in March to ban people under 18 from using tanning beds.
—
Michael Scaturro,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Under his leadership, the FDA backed away from a plan in March to ban people under 18 from using tanning beds.
—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Lindsey backed away onto a median and Milligan followed him.
—
Caroline Zimmerman
may 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Raman has since backed away from the ban.
—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
But while returning from China aboard Air Force One on Friday, the President backed away from that, while also criticizing Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, without mentioning the State Representative by name.
—
May 17,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
But there are clear signs that Miller has not backed away from his own views on immigration—including on H-2B visas.
—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
After several hours of station-keeping, Gemini 6—commanded by Wally Schirra, alongside rookie astronaut Tom Stafford—backed away, and began easing down to a lower orbit, preparing to reenter.
—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 May 2026
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Under his leadership, the FDA backed away from a plan in March to ban people under 18 from using tanning beds.
—
Michael Scaturro,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Under his leadership, the FDA backed away from a plan in March to ban people under 18 from using tanning beds.
—
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Lindsey backed away onto a median and Milligan followed him.
—
Caroline Zimmerman
may 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
Raman has since backed away from the ban.
—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
But while returning from China aboard Air Force One on Friday, the President backed away from that, while also criticizing Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, without mentioning the State Representative by name.
—
May 17,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
But there are clear signs that Miller has not backed away from his own views on immigration—including on H-2B visas.
—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
After several hours of station-keeping, Gemini 6—commanded by Wally Schirra, alongside rookie astronaut Tom Stafford—backed away, and began easing down to a lower orbit, preparing to reenter.
—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
Verb
-
Trump withdrew from the JCPOA agreement in 2018, during his first term as president.
-
The Arkansas Department of Education first released a set of draft rules in November but withdrew them after the proposal drew hundreds of critical comments from parents and others for being too restrictive.
Verb
-
Oil prices retreated to around $80 a barrel on Friday, down from a peak of $118 in March when the war was at its height.
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The officer retreated and fired several shots, killing the dog and injuring its owner, who was trying to secure the animal, police said.
Verb
-
Big Oaks hosts about 6,000 deer, squirrel, and turkey hunters and anglers annually, with some 15,000 total visitors, including bird-watchers from around the world, according to former refuge manager Joe Robb, who retired last year.
-
After Walter Cronkite retired in 1981, CBS Evening News host Dan Rather enjoyed running the show as its sole anchor.
Verb
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Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt said cornerback Kelee Ringo shouted out a signal to him before the snap, and Hunt dropped back into coverage and snagged Dalton’s throw.
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The odds of the Clarity Act being passed this year have dropped back from almost 70% on the Polymarket prediction platform, falling to just over 50%.
Verb
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Room had a big game with more than a dozen saves; his wife, his wife pulled out the list of haters and went on the attack.
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The world’s second-largest consumer of crude oil, China, has pulled out all the stops to preserve supplies as the war in Iran has cut off access to more than 11 million barrels of oil per day.
Cite this Entry
“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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