as in retreats
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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Recent Examples of backs away
The officer in the black beanie backs away with his gun drawn, though pointed down.
—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Videos show an officer, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, backs away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Those detours foreshadowed Paris, where the styling again backs away from surface-level pink and redistributes it to the interior.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Nov. 2025
Willow begins to whimper, and backs away from the door—but sits promptly down, still staring at it.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Finally, the board will have the good sense to just snap their host laptop shut, but not before a wickedly riotous 10 minutes or so in which absolutely no one backs away from the keyboard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
At first, the bison ignores him, but eventually approaches the man, who quickly backs away to keep a safe distance.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Videos show an officer, who is hovering over the scuffle with his right hand on Pretti’s back, backs away from the group with what appears to be a gun in his right hand just before the first shot.
—Hannah Fingerhut, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
Those detours foreshadowed Paris, where the styling again backs away from surface-level pink and redistributes it to the interior.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 8 Nov. 2025
Willow begins to whimper, and backs away from the door—but sits promptly down, still staring at it.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Finally, the board will have the good sense to just snap their host laptop shut, but not before a wickedly riotous 10 minutes or so in which absolutely no one backs away from the keyboard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
At first, the bison ignores him, but eventually approaches the man, who quickly backs away to keep a safe distance.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backs away
Verb
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In the production, Hayes plays Elliott, a writer grappling with creative paralysis who retreats to a remote cabin, only to find the line between imagination and reality dangerously blurred.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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Written by Shlesinger and directed by Josephine Decker, the comedian stars as fortysomething aid worker Jamie, who, after getting abruptly and publicly dumped, retreats back to her hometown to spend a few months with her parents (Megan Mullally and Jeff Perry) until her next relief mission.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Continue reading … POLITICS DEAL BREAKER – Government shutdown looms as key negotiator withdraws support for funding package.—
,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The law is implemented across a number of scenarios, including if the President dies or resigns while in office under Section 1 or the President themselves withdraws from the position, which can be temporarily, under Section 3.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High on November 16, 2025.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
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The pump should turn off after the water level drops back down.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That water then freezes in the atmosphere and falls back down as snow.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
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When fired for real in the film, the first intercepting missile malfunctions and falls back to earth.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dunleavy, now the general manager of the Golden State Warriors, is trying to figure out a way to acquire Antetokounmpo, now in his 13th NBA season, and pair him with superstar Stephen Curry for one more push at an NBA championship before Curry retires.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Golden State’s future picks could be extra attractive to Milwaukee if the Bucks expect the Warriors to fall off when Curry, who turns 38 in March, eventually retires.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backs away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backs%20away. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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