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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of backed away After questioning Comey and his wife, the Secret Service backed away from opening a full investigation. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 31 July 2026 As Rocket Lab’s Puma backed away, True Anomaly’s Jackal executed more burns to reengage and image its prey. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026 Semiconductors — The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tanked for a fifth day, tumbling nearly 4%, as traders backed away from chip stocks. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 July 2026 The Colorado school testing Mithril's drone, a public charter school called the John Adams Academy, is tapping private funding after the county backed away from providing $200,000 for the program. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 July 2026 All three officers immediately backed away from Morgan, while Kephart retreated next to his patrol car. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 When OpenAI launched its Sora video app last fall with limited likeness protections, SAG-AFTRA condemned it, and OpenAI backed away within days. — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 As a candidate, Hong has not backed away from her calls to defund and abolish the police. — Scott Bauer, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 Over the weekend, most of the AI models have backed away from predictions of storm formation. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
  1. withdrew
  2. retreated
  3. retired
  4. dropped back
  5. pulled out
Verb
  • In April of this year, global energy company AES withdrew plans to build a large battery storage facility in Eden Valley after residents loudly opposed the project, due to potential fire risk.
    — Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026
  • The United States formally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May 2018, several months after Tahbaz’s arrest.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • Exxon shares retreated about 2% in premarket trading on Friday as it’s adjusted per-share profit narrowly missed forecasts.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Out of possession, Benfica looked to man-mark higher up the pitch but retreated into their customary 4-2-3-1 shape as teams got forward, with the wingers moving infield as seen below.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Despite overcoming early battery recalls to post record sales figures, GM retired the hatchback to retool its factory for electric trucks and sunset its aging battery platform.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026
  • His diagnoses ultimately affected his ability to play music, and Phil retired ahead of his rock band Genesis’ final tour in 2022.
    — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of retired
Verb
  • Matthew Stafford dropped back, faked a handoff, turned back around and went looking for Puka Nacua again.
    — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • But that number dropped back to single digits earlier this month after the war restarted.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 27 July 2026
Definition of dropped back
Verb
  • During the dispute, one of the men pulled out a gun and fired between five and 10 shots before fleeing the store, according to police.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Real Madrid, the last club standing in the effort, formally pulled out this past February.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of pulled out

Browse Nearby Words

backed
backed away
backed down
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Cite this Entry

“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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