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as in withdrawn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
Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 May 2026
The full weight of it slammed me backward into the kitchen island, pinning my lower back and hips.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
That story, however, gets it exactly backward.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
Which is my initials backwards.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 May 2026
The full weight of it slammed me backward into the kitchen island, pinning my lower back and hips.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Adjective
The robot eventually gained the ability to walk forward and backward while maintaining balance after minor pushes.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
That story, however, gets it exactly backward.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
Kendry Rojas will start Thursday’s series finale after the Twins decided to push Taj Bradley back a day.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
-
Our aim now is to get this club back into the Premier League.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Adverb
-
All this self-agonizing left the rest of the cast and crew waiting around for hours, their goodwill draining away.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
-
Aniston gave the classic style a relaxed update while appearing in an Instagram clip with Courteney Cox, opting for loose cut-off jean shorts with subtle distressing that felt casual and easy to move around in.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
That will no longer be the case for picks 31 through 46, which will now be ordered in reverse order of the lottery drawing.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
Africans paid $68 million for European short-term visa applications that ended up being rejected in 2024, imposing a cost that analysts have described as ‘reverse remittances’ in favour of rich countries.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
His is a more enlightened era, but Hannes, lonely and withdrawn, doesn’t share his classmates’ interest in campus sit-ins and free love.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Lost was the fact that a grid-connection request is just the start of a multiyear process that involves permitting and legal review and often ends in withdrawn or downsized projects.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 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
-
In show jumping, one small error or one fence down, can be the end.—
Danielle Rossingh,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
But after going two up, two down, the Phillies went out of the ballpark in all three innings.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
It’s not yet confirmed if the reversed look that was seen initially will be released at retail.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
-
As the number of reversed-conviction lawsuits exploded over the past decade, the city spread most of the work around a dozen firms, who deployed more than 200 attorneys in all plus another 200-plus support staffers.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s just shy of the all-time high set the prior week.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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