backing away

verb

present participle of back away
as in withdrawing
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 backing away Even as beef prices continue to hit record highs, Burger King is not backing away from burgers. — Hallie Jackson, NBC news, 20 July 2026 According to the report, Sheets' girlfriend pleaded with him while backing away and heard one gunshot. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 8 July 2026 As the officers ask Marseille to put the dog away, bodycam video shows the second officer unholstering his gun and backing away from the barking dog. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 With sunbeams gleaming downward, reflecting off of the spacecraft's hull, the Dragon can be seen backing away from the station mere moments after undocking from the port on the station's Harmony module. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 23 June 2026 Big Oil is not backing away from renewables because the energy transition has stopped. — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026 Body-camera video shows an officer backing away. — City News Service, Daily News, 20 June 2026 So far, however, Manhattan’s wealthiest buyers don’t appear to be backing away. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 Six years later, several governments are backing away from their commitments. — Andres Clarens, The Conversation, 17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing away
  1. withdrawing
  2. retreating
  3. falling back
  4. pulling out
  5. dropping back
  6. retiring
Verb
  • Tincon last spring said the concerns were unfounded and described itself as a responsible corporate neighbor, but ended up withdrawing its application before a vote.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • Pavlensky argues that his work is being used against him, while French authorities are assessing whether his criminal convictions justify withdrawing his asylum status.
    — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Verb
  • Cardinal and Lilly also set fresh record closes last week, before retreating modestly, as J & J has, in recent sessions.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2026
  • And larger investors were already retreating from the single-family market.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • Arizona, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico are among the states and territories that don't follow this pattern of sprining forward and falling back.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Now, the murder rate is falling back in line with other crime trends, many of which are also among the lowest ever recorded.
    — James Tuttle, The Conversation, 9 July 2026
Definition of falling back
Verb
  • But the timing of it is interesting, because that 2022 offseason has become a flashpoint in autopsies of Yzerman’s tenure, with some actually viewing it as an example of the general manager getting impatient and pulling out of the rebuild too soon.
    — Max Bultman, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Kramer agreed, crediting facility partners at Sporting Kansas City, the KC Current, the University of Kansas and the $20-million Swope Soccer Village for pulling out the stops to attract the world’s best teams.
    — Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of pulling out
Verb
  • Alex Baena and Lamine Yamal kept Jules Kounde and Lucas Digne on their toes while dropping back to restrict their contributions in the final third.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 15 July 2026
  • The Dream fell to the Seattle Storm 105-90 on Saturday after dropping back-to-back games to the Golden State Valkyries — 77-66 on June 24 and 78-75 on June 26.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of dropping back
Verb
  • Fricker went on to star in another ITV drama Seekers, 1994 sports comedy Angels in the Outfield, 1997’s Masterminds, and 2011’s Albert Nobbs, before retiring from big-screen roles in 2015.
    — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • The three-time Pro Bowl running back racked up 9,651 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns in his NFL career, before retiring in 2017.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of retiring

Browse Nearby Words

backing
backing away
backing down
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Cite this Entry

“Backing away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20away. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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