backs (up or away)

verb

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs (up or away)
  1. withdraws
  2. retreats
  3. runs away
  4. recedes
  5. retires
  6. takes off
Verb
  • Mei searches for community and purpose with the I Wor Kuen while Chris withdraws from daily life into increasingly Spartan spiritual practices.
    — Dylan Adamson, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
  • If a candidate withdraws after that July 13 deadline, the party does not have any way to nominate a replacement.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of withdraws
Verb
  • As the hours tick away, Alana continues to emotionally unravel while Michael retreats inward, stonewalling law enforcement and his staff and pressing forward with life as usual.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • At the end of every summer, the royal family retreats to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, their beloved getaway.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 21 July 2026
Definition of retreats
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
Definition of runs away
Verb
  • The common assumption is that love recedes visibly, through arguments or a loud rupture.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • But, even with the end so near, my thoughts turn ahead to preparations for another trip when the water recedes a bit.
    — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026
Definition of recedes
Verb
  • Toyota recently launched a $25 billion, tender-offer buyback that retires about 7% of outstanding shares, one of the largest repurchases in Japanese history.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 22 July 2026
  • Citation retires after the race with total earnings of $1,085,760.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of retires
Verb
  • When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026
  • There is a similar silence after Maggie’s mother takes off.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
Definition of takes off
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

backs (up)
backs (up or away)
back talk
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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 28 Jul. 2026.

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