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as in withdrawn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
1
as in to arch
to cause to turn away from a straight line
she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
bent herself to the task for the rest of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to distort
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
attorneys bending the facts to put their client in the most favorable light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to attach
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in curvature
something that curves or is curved
it's hard to see around that bend in the road, so be careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of backward
Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Frantic editing ensures that scenes flash forward and backward in time, sometimes within a minute: these alternating shots work like a visual metronome, ticking from side to side.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Some of the fossil’s features suggest monotremes might have evolved from living in the water to land — and could explain the bizarre, backward feet echidnas have today.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Players have to bend their wrist, trying to come up with the right grip to access the analog stick, face buttons and shoulder buttons.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 19 May 2025
Its steering is tight and precise, and throwing its 1,800kg mass around bends is heaps of fun thanks to its grippy tyres.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
In Calorie Count, titling the Joy-Con moves characters forward and backward.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 27 May 2025
Frantic editing ensures that scenes flash forward and backward in time, sometimes within a minute: these alternating shots work like a visual metronome, ticking from side to side.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Adjective
There is no more tempting occasion for the backward glance; what’s remarkable is how many glancers there have already been in the course of decades past.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Some of the fossil’s features suggest monotremes might have evolved from living in the water to land — and could explain the bizarre, backward feet echidnas have today.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Verb
The Briton wasn’t passive, but she was forced to bend and break because of her opponent’s brilliant court coverage and defense.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Players have to bend their wrist, trying to come up with the right grip to access the analog stick, face buttons and shoulder buttons.
—Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Noun
Sitting, on the other hand, creates bends and constrictions in the blood vessels of the legs.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 19 May 2025
Its steering is tight and precise, and throwing its 1,800kg mass around bends is heaps of fun thanks to its grippy tyres.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
The play transports viewers back to the 1950s but feels equally relevant in the 2020s with its themes of unrestrained political power, corporate timidity and journalistic integrity.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
-
After losing the first two sets, Agassi surges back to beat Andrei Medvedev 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
6 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
-
Net earnings for the quarter were $3.4 billion, down from $3.6 billion during the same period last year.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Besides a decrease in consumer spending, others include the prevalence of reverse gentrification, an increase in secondhand shopping and rising unemployment rates.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
2 June 2025
-
Now, exosomes are in moisturizers, serums, and hair injectables, promising to repair your skin barrier, boost collagen production, and reverse aging.—
Boutayna Chokrane,
Wired News,
30 May 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
Verb
-
Tummy time involves lying on your stomach, propped up on your elbows, while slightly arching your back.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
5 June 2025
-
Hold at the top for a count of five seconds, squeezing your glutes without arching your back.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
However, manufacturers should devote similar attention to their return on data.—
Simon Dae Oong Kim,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
As one of vanishingly few Palestinian American voices in Hollywood, Amer might have devoted what would, unfortunately, be his show’s final season to current events.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
This is the second flight of the first-stage booster, which will aim for a recovery landing back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2025
-
The strikes came a day after the U.N. nuclear watchdog declared that Iran wasn't complying with nuclear nonproliferation agreements aimed at halting the spread of nuclear weapons.—
Rebecca Rosman,
NPR,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
Of course, Apple will have thought of this and curved the edges, for instance, to mitigate this.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Halfway into the decade, the company's latest sustainability report released Thursday shows the software giant has a long way to go to meet that goal but may be starting to bend its emissions curve downward.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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