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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
  1. withdrew
  2. retreated
  3. retired
  4. dropped back
  5. pulled out
Verb
  • Holtec Nuclear withdrew its IPO earlier this month citing adverse market sentiment in equity markets.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,April Roach, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Burke Law Group withdrew from consideration for the contract after lawmakers and advocacy groups raised concerns that the firm did not have experience representing migrant children.
    — Laura Romero, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • Treasury yields retreated from a two-decade high as traders pared bets on further Fed tightening after last month's rate hike.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots and there were no clashes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • Mark Swed — the last full-time classical music critic at a major American newspaper — has retired.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • For the tequila, the celebs decided to work with master distiller Julio Cova, who previously worked for Casa Cuervo and retired in 2025.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of retired
Verb
  • In 2025, however, this figure dropped back to about 12 percent, near its average of 12 percent since 2010.
    — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • As Dart dropped back to pass during the opening drive of Monday’s game, he was hit in the backfield by two converging Rams pass rushers.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of dropped back
Verb
  • The 37-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, later pulled over on the side of the interstate, got out of his car and pulled out a gun, police said.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
  • One advantage of using orbital data instead of moon rocks is that the samples were pulled out of their geological context more than 50 years ago, according to Mittelholz.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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