as in retreats
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 backs away
At first, the bison ignores him, but eventually approaches the man, who quickly backs away to keep a safe distance.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs away
Verb
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The film follows reclusive novelist Ohm Bauman (Scott), who retreats to a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, but the staff’s tales of an ancient witch haunting the honeymoon suite take hold of his mind.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
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And the resort will continue its three-day Alo Moves retreats post-renovation.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Cabaret is cutting its Broadway run short as star Billy Porter withdraws from the production.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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Innovation fades, and the team quietly withdraws.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Gunner Stockton #14 of the Georgia Bulldogs drops back to pass during the third quarter of the spring G Day game at Sanford Stadium on April 12, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
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However, Gentz continued, if one assumed About You had been part of the Zalando group last year as well, then 2025 guidance for revenue growth drops back to between 4 percent and 7 percent over the full year.—
Cathrin Schaer,
Footwear News,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Over millions of years, the gas that was pushed out falls back in, and the warm gas cools again.—
Shreejaya Karantha,
Space.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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But, the star falls back down again, so the kids explore new ways to get the star back to his parents.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sink retires after more than 30 years in the energy industry, holding leadership roles in both business operations and financial management.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Known for his larger-than-life personality – and the even bigger mascot heads he’s worn – Corso retires as one of the pioneers of football television.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backs away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20away. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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