backed away

verb

past tense of back away
as in withdrew
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of backed away With officers initially unable to determine what had happened inside, police backed away, established a perimeter and treated the home as a barricaded situation. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Disney subsequently backed away from its demands and started to sell 30-second berths for $8 million to $9 million, according to people familiar with the talks. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 There was no hint of trouble in weather or sky as the thirty-foot trolling boat Roamer cast off her lines, backed away from the dock, and moved out across Munising Bay. — James D. Oxley, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026 After questioning Comey and his wife, the Secret Service backed away from opening a full investigation. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 31 July 2026 As Rocket Lab’s Puma backed away, True Anomaly’s Jackal executed more burns to reengage and image its prey. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026 Semiconductors — The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tanked for a fifth day, tumbling nearly 4%, as traders backed away from chip stocks. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 July 2026 The Colorado school testing Mithril's drone, a public charter school called the John Adams Academy, is tapping private funding after the county backed away from providing $200,000 for the program. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 July 2026 All three officers immediately backed away from Morgan, while Kephart retreated next to his patrol car. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
  1. withdrew
  2. retreated
  3. retired
  4. dropped back
  5. pulled out
Verb
  • But the county withdrew from consideration over zoning issues.
    — David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • At Lucky Unique, none of the 57 eligible workers had received reimbursement after the supplier withdrew an earlier pledge to repay them.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of withdrew
Verb
  • While that unfolded, Justin Crawford retreated to the Phillies dugout.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • When the Hills couple faced financial issues after the show ended, the two retreated to Pratt’s parents’ beach home in Carpinteria, California, to get back to regular life.
    — Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of retreated
Verb
  • The insider suggested that Anne will likely follow in the footsteps of her late father, Prince Philip, who retired from official royal engagements at 96 years old.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Cameron retired his first 15 batters before issuing a leadoff walk to Oswald Peraza in the sixth.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of retired
Verb
  • Patrick Mahomes took a snap Monday and dropped back before looking left.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Haynes took the shotgun snap at the 10 and dropped back to the 14 before shooting up the middle, pump faking around the seven and diving into the end zone for the game-winning score.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of dropped back
Verb
  • As the driver continued, Boyd reportedly pulled out a gun from his waistband and fired five rounds at the truck, including one that struck the tow truck.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Authorities said that after initially fleeing, Ruiz pulled out a knife during a struggle with officers and injured one of them.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pulled out

Browse Nearby Words

backed
backed away
backed down
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Cite this Entry

“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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