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
Once Kefalos backed away, her dog put herself under the bed and started running around again.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Trump backed away from sanctions, preferring low-level talks in Istanbul which went nowhere.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Trump backed away from sanctions, preferring low-level talks in Istanbul which went nowhere.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
Verb
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Just a day before Amtrak unveiled its new Acela trains, his department withdrew another $175 million earmarked for California rail projects.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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In January 2023, Imavov was booked to face Kelvin Gastelum, but that fight fell apart when Gastelum withdrew.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gerson believes the gangs have retreated.—
Johnny Fils-Aimé,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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Runner-up Sabalenka, meanwhile, retreated to another area, smashed her racket until the frame buckled and sat with her back against the wall, next to the scratch marks left on the floor.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2025, Kirk shared that Zak had been diagnosed with heart failure and medically retired from football.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
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Alcaraz holds a 9-5 career advantage, 3-2 in majors and 6-2 on hardcourts, including the Cincinnati final where Sinner retired with a virus.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tagovailoa’s third turnover occurred on Miami’s first drive of the second half when a short pass over the middle of the field was intercepted by Colts defensive lineman Laiatu Latu, who dropped back into coverage on Miami’s offense while a three Colts rushers came after Tagovailoa.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
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Borralho dropped back to 185 pounds for his UFC debut in April 2011.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Angels pulled out a 4-3 victory as Jo Adell remained a thorn in the Royals’ side.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
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The Chicago Bears have definitely pulled out all the stops to try and make life as easy as possible for quarterback Caleb Williams this offseason, adding even more weapons and bolstering their offensive line.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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