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
Videos show an officer, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, backs away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot.
—
Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Those detours foreshadowed Paris, where the styling again backs away from surface-level pink and redistributes it to the interior.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Nov. 2025
Willow begins to whimper, and backs away from the door—but sits promptly down, still staring at it.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Finally, the board will have the good sense to just snap their host laptop shut, but not before a wickedly riotous 10 minutes or so in which absolutely no one backs away from the keyboard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
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
Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Those detours foreshadowed Paris, where the styling again backs away from surface-level pink and redistributes it to the interior.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Nov. 2025
Willow begins to whimper, and backs away from the door—but sits promptly down, still staring at it.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Finally, the board will have the good sense to just snap their host laptop shut, but not before a wickedly riotous 10 minutes or so in which absolutely no one backs away from the keyboard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs away
Verb
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Menopause retreats at properties with spas take that tension-melting vibe a step further.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
23 Jan. 2026
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Less well defined is the character of Miss Delavigne, although she’s wonderfully portrayed by Englert, who retreats into this mousy persona.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The law is implemented across a number of scenarios, including if the President dies or resigns while in office under Section 1 or the President themselves withdraws from the position, which can be temporarily, under Section 3.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
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While Block is in the fourth grade, after his family moves from Indiana to Texas, his mother withdraws him from school, convinced that a traditional academic environment will stifle his budding writerly gifts.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High on November 16, 2025.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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The pump should turn off after the water level drops back down.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That water then freezes in the atmosphere and falls back down as snow.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
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When fired for real in the film, the first intercepting missile malfunctions and falls back to earth.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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When Moon abruptly retires, the narrator goes to Korea to find him.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Officials are also working to hire a new human resources director to succeed Susan Brazeau, who retires in March.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backs away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20away. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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