as in withdrawing
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of backing away
And yet the Republican administration and its congressional allies are showing no signs of caving to Democratic demands or backing away from threats to use the opportunity to pursue deeper cuts to the federal workforce.
—
Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Video showed the man backing away from Sanchez, who stands 6-feet-2-inches, before the former quarterback followed then ran after the man, grabbing and throwing him toward the wall of the Westin, another downtown hotel, police wrote in the affidavit.
—IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
The clip shows the massive American bully hesitantly backing away from a tiny, energetic puppy.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Prescott and Carter exchanged words after the opening kickoff, and Carter spit on Prescott’s jersey before backing away.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
After backing away from a controversial logo rebrand loudly opposed by many right-wing influencers, Cracker Barrel also quietly made changes to its website this week.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s how desperate Maye was, rolling right and then backing away from pressure on fourth down with the clock ticking under 15 seconds on his last snap of the day.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Aug. 2025
Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Video showed the man backing away from Sanchez, who stands 6-feet-2-inches, before the former quarterback followed then ran after the man, grabbing and throwing him toward the wall of the Westin, another downtown hotel, police wrote in the affidavit.
—IndyStar, 6 Oct. 2025
The clip shows the massive American bully hesitantly backing away from a tiny, energetic puppy.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Prescott and Carter exchanged words after the opening kickoff, and Carter spit on Prescott’s jersey before backing away.
—Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
After backing away from a controversial logo rebrand loudly opposed by many right-wing influencers, Cracker Barrel also quietly made changes to its website this week.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
That’s how desperate Maye was, rolling right and then backing away from pressure on fourth down with the clock ticking under 15 seconds on his last snap of the day.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing away
Verb
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Israeli troops still occupy Gaza and won't be withdrawing until Hamas disarms.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
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Other users in the comments suggested the bride look into the legal aspect of the makeup artist withdrawing on such short notice and effectively breaching the contract between them.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is rapidly retreating.—
Nell Lewis,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
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Browse books, play pool, and spin records in the Living Room before retreating to the 5,600-square-foot spa, complete with a Himalayan salt room, Finnish sauna, seasonal outdoor pool, and treatments by sustainable Italian brand Comfort Zone, among others.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Even when new songs have come for the crown, a lot of them have only remained briefly at the top before falling back behind the top 10’s longterm residents in 2025.—
Eric Renner Brown,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
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And that the time for falling back on progress is over.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After the attack in Doha, Qatar reportedly asked the UAE and Bahrain to close their embassies in Israel—a step that would mean pulling out of the agreement—but both countries have ignored that request.—
Monica Marks,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Within minutes of pulling out of the neighborhood, motion alerts pinged her phone.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some backups go through every tiny detail of the pre and at-snap routine, even dropping back with a ball in their hand but stopping short of throwing it.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
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As moisture increases later this week, a cooling trend will commence with temperatures dropping back into the normal range by Friday.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during the match, which was played in oppressive heat and humidity, before retiring down 6-1, 4-1.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Sharon Seelig, who has been president, licensing, is retiring after more than 30 years.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backing away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20away. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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