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
Relevance
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
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
And Bahrain and the UAE – the two Gulf Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel – have not backed away from their official relationship.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Once Kefalos backed away, her dog put herself under the bed and started running around again.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
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
And Bahrain and the UAE – the two Gulf Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel – have not backed away from their official relationship.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Once Kefalos backed away, her dog put herself under the bed and started running around again.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
Verb
-
After President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection campaign yesterday, the endorsements have been rolling in for Vice President Kamala Harris to be selected as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming election.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
-
While the Dartmouth players withdrew their unionization petition after the 2024 presidential election, their success could inspire similar efforts at other schools.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since the auto industry has retreated, Flint has been marred by poverty and violence.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
But previous Daniel Jones models would have withered after such an ugly start and retreated to an all-checkdown menu for the rest of the game.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Strahm had just retired the right-handed hitting Mookie Betts and has actually been better against right-handers than lefties this season.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
With 12-year-old Bentley now retired from running, Otis carries on the family tradition – sprinting down the same hill with the same excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Nix dropped back and saw his top target, Courtland Sutton, settling open into a zone between two defenders.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Jackson dropped back to pass, but the play just never developed.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Utah Senator Mike Lee was scheduled to attend, but pulled out due to the government shutdown.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The swimmer, who was accompanied by a crew, was pulled out of the water and attended to on their boat before authorities arrived, per KTLA.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share