backward-looking

adjective

Synonyms of backward-lookingnext
disapproving
: relating to the past : old-fashioned
backward-looking ideas/plans

Examples of backward-looking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a sense, the recent buildings are oddly backward-looking solutions to a dramaturgical problem that preoccupied the German-speaking avant-garde of the 1920s. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026 Brands moved from relying only on backward-looking data to responding to real-time signals. Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026 The backward-looking sound sometimes pushes the band toward exciting switch-ups. Victoria Borlando, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026 Since the 2008 financial crisis, virtually every major piece of legislation – from Dodd-Frank to subsequent banking reforms – has been backward-looking, designed to address past crises rather than prepare for the next frontier. Patrick McHenry, Fortune, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for backward-looking

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Backward-looking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backward-looking. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on backward-looking

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!