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as in withdrawn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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of backward
PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
This essay extends the timeline backward while also globalizing the stakes: the Midwest becomes a node in a diasporic network of Black thought and activism.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2025
Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
What should have been his biggest weakness—his origin in a seemingly backward country—was his greatest strength.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
Regulatory reforms that promote widespread price transparency offers Congress and the Trump Administration an opportunity to meaningfully bend the healthcare cost curve and improve the quality-of-care patients receive.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Graham Averill, Outside Online, 20 June 2025
It has been used for decades to treat divers suffering from decompression sickness, known as the bends, and can be used to help treat several other conditions, such as tissue infections and poisoning, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Adverb
Oddly, double-tapping the play button skips forward, but there’s no control for skipping backward.
—PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
This essay extends the timeline backward while also globalizing the stakes: the Midwest becomes a node in a diasporic network of Black thought and activism.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2025
Adjective
The Ohio native wore Nike shorts and a T-shirt, accessorized with a backward white baseball hat.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
What should have been his biggest weakness—his origin in a seemingly backward country—was his greatest strength.
—Ekow Eshun
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Verb
At this point, Lutnick suggested that the US is unwilling to bend on the requirement that the US control the recommendation algorithm, which is viewed as the secret sauce that makes the app so popular globally.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
Regulatory reforms that promote widespread price transparency offers Congress and the Trump Administration an opportunity to meaningfully bend the healthcare cost curve and improve the quality-of-care patients receive.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Noun
Head to a bend in the river where the tall, gray Roark Bluff rises from the edge of the river.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 20 June 2025
It has been used for decades to treat divers suffering from decompression sickness, known as the bends, and can be used to help treat several other conditions, such as tissue infections and poisoning, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
To expand Raptor Ranch and bring Bedrock City roaring back to life with playful attractions for all ages, because some childhood memories are just too good to stay extinct.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
Jim and Jeremy Janssen now live in North Carolina and Maryland, respectively — but traveled back to Detroit with a slew of family members for the puppet's induction into the Detroit Historical Museum.—
Emma George-Griffin,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
Adverb
-
Here, the odds of the postseason dropped a full three percentage points, to 95.9% (though that’s with a 92.5% chance of a division title and a 52.4% chance of a bye, down from 73.7% last week).—
Ryan Ford,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
-
That percentage is also very similar to 2023 and down slightly from the 100.1% of mid-2022, reflecting the red-hot market of 2020-mid-2022 in which buyers were fiercely competing for homes, often asking over asking price.—
Matthew Glowicki,
The Courier-Journal,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
The last time the Fed cut, in the final four months of 2024, Treasury yields rose almost in perfect reverse correlation to the rate reductions, and the same thing could happen again if markets perceive the Fed is surrendering its inflation-fighting credentials to placate Trump.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
19 July 2025
-
Ionescu drilled a pair of 3-pointers and made a tough reverse lay-up during a 10-point first quarter.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Notice if the child becomes withdrawn, anxious, or shows signs of distress connected to a friendship.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
10 July 2025
-
Often, people that indulge in this type of culture are considered anti-social or withdrawn, a stereotype that has been passed around for years.—
Dominick Williams,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Rural skies will also showcase the Milky Way arching across the southern sky.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
21 July 2025
-
It is best observed from dark sky locations far from bright city lights, and appears as a faint, cloud-like band arching across the sky toward the south.—
Jenny Porter Tilley,
Louisville Courier Journal,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Jane comes from a background of poverty and has stayed in their hometown for the past 20 years, devoting herself to caregiving.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
-
With this work, the tenacious journalist and advocate for the Everglades devoted her life to preserving the unique, sprawling ecosystem now protected by federal law.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
-
Since then, humanitarian aid – aimed at funding urgent needs through non-profit organizations and bypassing government control – filled some of the gap.—
Alysha Bibi,
CNN Money,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Enjoying an excellent day in front of a vociferous home support at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, the 36-year-old found himself in a spot of bother when his tee shot at the par-four 11th curved into the rough on the right of the fairway.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
19 July 2025
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Most storms that form off Florida’s east coast tend to track north or northeast along the Atlantic, often curving away from the U.S. mainland.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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