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as in withdrawn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
Jenny McCoy, SELF, 2 May 2025
And something did go wrong ... for Pugh, at least, whose batons kept getting caught on the concrete ledge above her, yanking her backward every time.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Education froze all federal grant funding to Harvard over their refusal to bend to their demands.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Bruce Schreiner and Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Research now shows there’s no universal neutral body posture in zero-gravity environments, but there are certain commonalities between the postures, including maintaining a neutral spine, with a slight bend in the knees and arms.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 17 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
Lots of traditional gym staples (like squats, lunges, or presses) involve the sagittal plane, or forward and backward motion.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 2 May 2025
And something did go wrong ... for Pugh, at least, whose batons kept getting caught on the concrete ledge above her, yanking her backward every time.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 2 May 2025
Verb
Using your body to brace doors and windows Those who have been through major hurricanes may tell you of the surreal visual of watching their doors and windows bending to the pressure from the winds.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Education froze all federal grant funding to Harvard over their refusal to bend to their demands.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Noun
In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River.
—Bruce Schreiner and Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Research now shows there’s no universal neutral body posture in zero-gravity environments, but there are certain commonalities between the postures, including maintaining a neutral spine, with a slight bend in the knees and arms.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for backward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backward
Adverb
-
At a time when Arenado is scuffling and Willson Contreras (back spasms) has been unavailable, having Herrera’s thump from the right side has allowed the Cardinals’ lineup to remain versatile.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
-
With the dysfunctional clan back at their dinner seats, the tactical team busts through the door.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
Adverb
-
That City win — PSG’s first comeback from 2-0 down since May 2012, and their only ever in the Champions League — was a coming-of-age performance.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Chris sits back down in his chair, his arm now around a 1976 bicentennial Gibson Firebird that Tom Petty used to play a month of shows at The Fillmore in the ’90s.—
Josh Brolin,
Billboard,
29 May 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
-
For children, especially, these stressors can quickly lead to meltdowns or withdrawn behavior.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
My main criticism is its withdrawn camera, which is set too far away from the action in most stages.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Cats typically show affection by arching their back against you, meowing, purring, following you around, or sleeping near you at night.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
-
Cuomo, who was already seated, warily arched his eyebrows.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
Islam recommends devoting no more than 5% of your portfolio to thematic ETFs, for example.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
-
Regardless of high prices, Bulgari’s Creative Director Lucia Silvestri has devoted herself to making the pieces more wearable, articulated, and comfortable on the body.—
Daisy Shaw-Ellis,
Vogue,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
The majority of its customers are in Britain, but the firm is also aiming to expand overseas.—
Robert Olsen,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
The international co-production aims to inspire marine conservation efforts globally.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
The architects Jeff Milstein and Barbara Weinstein pushed the kitchen under an arched alcove, lifted a bedroom above a curving wall, and carved a private office into the living area that looks like a tiny southwestern house.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
22 May 2025
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The gleaming buildings of Chicago, curving along the shore of Lake Michigan, are especially lethal.—
Vincent Alban,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backward. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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