Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing (up or away)
Verb
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Before running away, the suspect demanded that Cornejo go to the back of the shop and get on her knees.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026 -
The clip then captured the bear returning later before running away again after trying to move the electric mat.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Graham later shared photos from a separate vacation in Sardinia, including an image of her walking out of the water in a blue bikini.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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The King was seen walking out, leading a procession that included William and Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, immediately behind Charles.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But again, no school can prevent a player from withdrawing and enrolling elsewhere.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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With his previous attorney withdrawing from the case, arraignment was postponed Wednesday for Rob Reiner’s youngest son, who is charged with murdering the famed filmmaker and his photographer wife Michele in their Brentwood home.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The reigning world champion returned to competitive skating last season with a bang after retiring following the 2022 Beijing Olympics.—
Lillian Karabaic,
NPR,
9 Jan. 2026
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The school will hold a ceremony retiring her jersey at halftime of the boys’ basketball game between Sierra Canyon and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Not when Kate is receding into the background, like Homer Simpson into his hedge.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Jan. 2026
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To the south near the San Francisco Bay Area, waters were slowly receding after roadways from Sausalito to San Rafael were flooded during heavy rain that coincided with record-breaking King Tides.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At the opening, Natalie, bored and filled with loathing for her parents, flees her family home by retreating into imaginary worlds of vivid, eroticized violence.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Even with state and federal backing, developers are retreating and selling properties, signaling that grassroots activism is fundamentally reshaping Big Tech’s expansion strategy.—
Marc Levy,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This usually requires pulling out any hair that gets trapped between the bristles.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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Georgia is either extremely fortunate or extremely tough — possibly both — to keep pulling out these close Ws.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Despite the holiday season clearing out offices, sending thousands on vacation, and shutting down stores early, CEOs tell Fortune their work lives are still intense.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 Jan. 2026
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Rake It Flat After clearing out the weeds and plant debris from your beds, use a rake to smooth the soil and break up any clumps of dirt.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Backing (up or away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20%28up%20or%20away%29. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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