backs (up or away)

present tense third-person singular of back (up or away)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs (up or away)
Verb
  • However, if Miller withdraws after Monday, Republicans would reportedly have no nominee to replace him on the ballot.
    Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • If a friend withdraws, reach out softly and offer clear help without pressure.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • With the bulk of his work at practice done for the day, Achord retreats to the back of the end zone with Koonz, squatting and scribbling something on paper.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Twice a day, the tide retreats from the shoreline, sometimes for up to two miles.
    Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And when the guy is maybe 20 meters away, the cameraman packs up the camera and runs away.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026
  • The title refers to a story-fable about a horse that runs away, only to turn up at a time of crisis.
    Hillel Italie, Fortune, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Desertification, a process where vegetation recedes because of high heat and low rainfall, threatens much of the Great Hungarian Plain.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Aromas grow more tannic with time as the fruit recedes into the background—except for apricot, which remains pronounced throughout.
    David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Robinson retires with 565 catches, 7,058 yards, and 43 touchdowns.
    Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • When a buyback operation retires $4 billion of 30-year bonds, that borrowing need grows by $4 billion, and with coupon auction sizes frozen, the marginal instrument is the bill.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Oviedo’s Camari Solomon takes the pitch from Sebastian Galeano, makes several guys miss and takes off for the 80 yard touchdown run.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Then Bill Eppridge, the photographer, went up, pointed to me, went into the plane, the door closed, and takes off into the night.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backs (up or away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20%28up%20or%20away%29. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!