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
Relevance
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
In a nation backing away from previous diversity commitments, there is little societal pressure for NFL owners to be better.
—
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
At least six city councilors, Culpepper, Ed Flynn, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Brian Worrell, swiftly issued statements or wrote to Wu administration officials expressing concern about backing away from prior commitments made to the majority-Black and brown community.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The group also faces challenges in local officials’ decisions that slow local transit growth, like scaling back plans for new trolley lines and backing away from ambitious proposals to charge drivers per mile driven to fund transit.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
After initially backing away, the boy stabbed Gutierrez three times, authorities said.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
While backing away, the victim eventually collapsed, and Thurman walked away toward a different car.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Even as the legislation headed for victory in the Senate, some House members started backing away.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
At least six city councilors, Culpepper, Ed Flynn, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Brian Worrell, swiftly issued statements or wrote to Wu administration officials expressing concern about backing away from prior commitments made to the majority-Black and brown community.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Videos show the officers backing away, some with guns drawn.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
The group also faces challenges in local officials’ decisions that slow local transit growth, like scaling back plans for new trolley lines and backing away from ambitious proposals to charge drivers per mile driven to fund transit.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
After initially backing away, the boy stabbed Gutierrez three times, authorities said.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
While backing away, the victim eventually collapsed, and Thurman walked away toward a different car.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Even as the legislation headed for victory in the Senate, some House members started backing away.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
If lions are spotted, make noise to scare them from the area, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and start backing away from the animal.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing away
Verb
-
India agreed to draw down its purchases, thereby withdrawing a critical financial lifeline for Russia amid its war against Ukraine.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Investigators said Neves-Valente was a former Brown University student who attended the Ivy League school from 2000 to 2001 as part of a PhD program in physics before formally withdrawing in the fall of 2003.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement The ability to sit face to face, to listen as much as to argue, to disagree without retreating into caricature is a prerequisite for meaningful action.—
Alan H.H. Fleischmann,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Defeat at Fort Necessity Washington then made the fateful decision to dig in and call for reinforcements instead of retreating in the face of inevitable French retaliation.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Despite a calamitous financial outlook, its share price has shown resiliency — soaring to an all-time high of almost $500 last month before falling back to around $422 this morning after the Q4 reveal.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Grande has previously shared her desire to return to theater after falling back in love with acting through the filming of Wicked.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
More than half of what scientists are pulling out of that frozen ground has never been cataloged.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Fans of Harry Styles are pulling out all the stops — and even some blood — in an effort to afford tickets for his upcoming world tour.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sunday will bring a lot of sunshine, but the temperature will reach only about 17 degrees before dropping back into the single digits Sunday night.—
Jack Perry,
The Providence Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Gold’s price rallied near $5,600 per ounce in the morning before suddenly and briefly dropping back below $5,200.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On the supply side, Baby Boomers are aging and retiring, population growth has slowed, and there’s been a sharp reduction in immigration and an increase in deportations.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
These include retiring the legacy B-1 and B-2 bombers only after sufficient B-21 aircraft are operational, and accelerating the procurement of existing fifth-generation fighters such as the F-35 and the F-15EX, as well as autonomous collaborative combat drones.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backing away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20away. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
