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 down
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as in withdrawn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
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 11 June 2025
After Alvarez speculated that Kennedy had simply fallen backward when his neck muscles went limp, Hoch handed him the book Six Seconds in Dallas by Josiah Thompson, which made an exceptionally strong case for a conspiracy based on the physical evidence.
—Alec Nevala-Lee
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 1 June 2025
Although the Cordilleran Ice Sheet almost certainly melted due to a change in the Earth’s position relative to the sun, that alone doesn’t account for the ice’s backward retreat from western North America.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
Karen Read's second murder trial continued Tuesday with testimony from a defense expert who says John O’Keefe likely smashed his skull during a fall backward.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 11 June 2025
After Alvarez speculated that Kennedy had simply fallen backward when his neck muscles went limp, Hoch handed him the book Six Seconds in Dallas by Josiah Thompson, which made an exceptionally strong case for a conspiracy based on the physical evidence.
—Alec Nevala-Lee
june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Adjective
A little higher above the western horizon, look for a right-leaning backward question mark.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 1 June 2025
Although the Cordilleran Ice Sheet almost certainly melted due to a change in the Earth’s position relative to the sun, that alone doesn’t account for the ice’s backward retreat from western North America.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
From Coachella to your couch, Yo Gabba Gabba! is so back.—
Katie Atkinson,
Billboard,
18 June 2025
-
That [was] the problem with being out back then was there were no guardrails.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
Adverb
-
Nevertheless, as the levels go up and down, the idea is allocation of audit personnel to provide that credible threat.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Today, a household with annual income of $50,000 can only afford 8.7% of listings, down from 9.4% a year ago, according to the data.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Or reverse years of institutional doubt about whether women belong on the grid.—
Kanzah Maktoum,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
-
In the third, the Valkyries ballooned their lead to as big as 22 after a reverse layup from Fágbénlé.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Hayk, a withdrawn and aloof child, lives on a farm with his aunt Narine and gets mocked and called strange by others.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
-
For children, especially, these stressors can quickly lead to meltdowns or withdrawn behavior.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adverb
-
Each is wrapped in graceful exterior lines and curves that sweep rearward from a massive hood that evokes a classic Jaguar XKE from the 1960’s.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
As do the side vents, and the hood lines that start from the badge and flare outward and rearward, giving the front end more presence.—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
5 Aug. 2024
Adverb
-
The flowering period isn't long, typically around three to four weeks.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
-
Multiple agents then turned Rosario Espinal around, pinning him to the ground before handcuffing him.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Trump, who has never been shy about getting even with his enemies, even turned to the Justice Department.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2025
-
Clark finished with 32 points, three shy of her career high.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nunes’ lone loss during her dominant stretch came against Peña.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
-
The lone exception was Heather Wilson, president of the University of Texas at El Paso and a former Republican member of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Air Force during the first Trump administration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.
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