as in withdrew
to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable) backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully
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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 The Georgia General Assembly tried to face the issue this year but backed away at the last minute from a bill that almost passed. —
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Between 2002 and 2003, the IRS flirted with building a free online filing system and then backed away, in part owing to private tax preparers that didn’t want to lose their grip on the process. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026 However, many prior vocal GOP advocates for doing so have since backed away from demanding such a measure. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026 Lopez clarified on Friday that the agency had informed Cal Fire on how to obtain search warrants with the county, but then backed away. —Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026 Since the pandemic, private equity funds and other institutional investors have backed away from oil and gas in part due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 And so our coalition, early in Johnson’s administration, met with the mayor and deputy mayor to establish the office through ordinance; since October 2024, the mayor has backed away from the effort and remained silent and nonresponsive about this necessary strategy. —Michael Pfleger, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 The unidentified man backed away from Martin, still chewing the cigarette, and waved to the camera before the broadcast cut away. —Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026 After a short struggle, Delgado backed away from Broom, pulled his gun from his holster and ordered her to drop the knife, according to the report. —David Goodhue march 9, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Between 2002 and 2003, the IRS flirted with building a free online filing system and then backed away, in part owing to private tax preparers that didn’t want to lose their grip on the process. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026 However, many prior vocal GOP advocates for doing so have since backed away from demanding such a measure. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026 Lopez clarified on Friday that the agency had informed Cal Fire on how to obtain search warrants with the county, but then backed away. —Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026 Since the pandemic, private equity funds and other institutional investors have backed away from oil and gas in part due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2026 And so our coalition, early in Johnson’s administration, met with the mayor and deputy mayor to establish the office through ordinance; since October 2024, the mayor has backed away from the effort and remained silent and nonresponsive about this necessary strategy. —Michael Pfleger, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 The unidentified man backed away from Martin, still chewing the cigarette, and waved to the camera before the broadcast cut away. —Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2026 After a short struggle, Delgado backed away from Broom, pulled his gun from his holster and ordered her to drop the knife, according to the report. —David Goodhue march 9, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed away
Verb
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In 2000, the UNIFIL established a de-facto area along the southern Lebanese border with Israel, after Israeli forces withdrew following their second invasion.— Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
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An earlier court petition was dismissed in 2015 after the ex-wife withdrew it.— Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But precisely as its students triumphed, Achievement First retreated from its founding commitments.— Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
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The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, retreated on the news, falling to around $104 a barrel.— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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La Habra still had the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning, but Driskill retired the next three batters, leaving the runners stranded.— Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
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At one point, Ohtani retired 11 consecutive batters.— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Past winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden moved into the top two positions after Rosenqvist pitted, but the Swede regained the lead when Newgarden pitted for the first time on Lap 37 and dropped back to 14th.— Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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When the Nissan dropped back, Mulligan signalled once more.— Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Major bands including Dropkick Murphys pulled out, leading Collins to cancel all 2026 Punk in the Park dates after the donation was discovered.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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Tasks like work extraction are part of a larger framework known as resource distillation, where useful properties are pulled out of imperfect systems.— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backed away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/backed%20away. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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