variants
or backwards
1
as in back
toward the rear
looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in around
toward the opposite direction
the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
curiously, the quiet, backward man opened up when around other introverts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of backward
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Inevitably, the boulder will roll backward, undoing decades and billions of dollars of work.
—Philip Budge, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
There were backward passes, deep bombs and spin moves aplenty to evade potential tag-pullers.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
On a few possessions, those smaller defenders also backed up under Jokic, reached backward with their arms and hooked them around his legs.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Inevitably, the boulder will roll backward, undoing decades and billions of dollars of work.
—Philip Budge, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
His belligerent knock ended in the final over when Phillips caught him at deep backward square leg at the second attempt.
—ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
There were backward passes, deep bombs and spin moves aplenty to evade potential tag-pullers.
—Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
The results showed that women eventually diagnosed with either of these two conditions — 849 with mild cognitive impairment and 752 with dementia — had larger amounts of p-tau217 in their initial blood sample way back in the mid-to-late 1990s.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Word has it that as the team was passing through border security--on the way back to Iran--each woman was taken aside to speak to Australian officials and interpreters without minders listening in.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Locals consistently rave about FIG and Leon’s Oyster Shop, though wandering around aimlessly—especially on the city’s lively King Street—is part of the fun, too.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
So instead of splashing around in new pools on Day 1, the Broncos ran it back.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The claim named the cemetery, the date, and the photographer, but none of that information was supported by reverse image search, metadata analysis, or other fact-checking.—
Mahsa Alimardani,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Wembanyama blocked Kris Dunn's reverse layup, creating a fast break that ended with an alley-oop dunk by Carter Bryant.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Parents report that many children stop eating, lose weight and become withdrawn.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The Flynns’ pompous neighbor, Jim Doherty, a divorcé with a withdrawn, unpleasant son, encourages Catherine’s artistic rebirth.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Two of their toes point inward and two point rearward with sharp pointed claws.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Nov. 2025
-
When moved rearward, the driver-side mattress folds and the front part of the bed base telescopes inside the larger rear section so the dinette can be expanded and used comfortably up front.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Up and down, way up and way down, gains and losses--all depending on what the president said in the last hour.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Every trip down and back left his lungs howling.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Right now, however, the roles appear reversed.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The snakes are typically shy around bigger animals and instead feed on mice and other rodents.—
Brianna Taylor,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Australians have never been shy asking for it.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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