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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Recent Examples of backing away
But Sanchez’s administration isn’t backing away from its call for an audit.
—
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Stanford is backing away from a program designed to support teachers of color after accusations of racial discrimination led to a federal investigation announced this week.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
But de La Faverie is not backing away from the human touch.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Her announcement touched off a new round of progressive candidates backing away from the Iron Dome.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Video footage from the apartment complex showed Kirkland speaking to several people in the Jeep before backing away and collapsing, the court document said.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens pulls his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before quickly backing away.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens pulls his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before quickly backing away.
—ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
Rather than backing away from these practices, the administration has now publicly doubled down.
—Amanda Cats-Baril, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Stanford is backing away from a program designed to support teachers of color after accusations of racial discrimination led to a federal investigation announced this week.
—Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
But de La Faverie is not backing away from the human touch.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Her announcement touched off a new round of progressive candidates backing away from the Iron Dome.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
Video footage from the apartment complex showed Kirkland speaking to several people in the Jeep before backing away and collapsing, the court document said.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens pulls his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before quickly backing away.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
As officers yell for Martinez to stop, Stevens pulls his weapon and rapidly fires three shots through the window before quickly backing away.
—ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
Rather than backing away from these practices, the administration has now publicly doubled down.
—Amanda Cats-Baril, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing away
Verb
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The Cabinet discussed—and George III supported—withdrawing from the coastal colonies entirely in favor of the Caribbean.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Two top Republican lawmakers expressed concern about the Pentagon withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Verb
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That deadlock prompted an unusually long recess of nearly 90 minutes that was followed by a 6-0 vote in favor of retreating on the bus stops.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Many of them have been linked to retreating glaciers, as melting ice destabilizes the mountains and land that had been covered for centuries.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The price of the international benchmark for oil, Brent crude, rose to more than $126 a barrel at one point overnight — the highest since 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine — before falling back to around $114 a barrel early Thursday.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Baker either avoided directly answering any questions related to the Massachusetts political arena, falling back on his new role at the NCAA for taking him away from the Bay State.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The teams met twice this season, with CCA pulling out wins of 10-8 and 9-9 and winning the overall games, 87 to 79.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Charged with pulling out of Mary the hurt inside, Coel exquisitely performs the task with the precision of an elite surgeon.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When opening an app, the CPU would spike to 96% before dropping back to more pedestrian 17% usage after a couple of seconds.—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
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The Padres won the final two games in San Francisco to win the series, their first after dropping back-to-back series to the Cubs and White Sox.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Castillo needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning, but limited the damage by retiring Buxton on a pop fly, leaving the bases loaded.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Since retiring in 2022, she's been an outspoken advocate for mothers in professional sports and beyond.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backing away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20away. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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