BACKED (UP OR AWAY) Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

backed (up or away)

verb

past tense of back (up or away)

as in retired

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for backed (up or away)

Verb

Social Security benefits — paid mostly to recipients who are older or retired — are typically scheduled to go out on Wednesdays.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 6 July 2026
Carpino retired in April, without ever explaining what was not right in the organization or, based on the standings, repairing it.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of retired

Verb

After starring in a slew of movies with each other, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen withdrew from the spotlight to focus on launching The Row, a luxury fashion brand, in 2005.

— Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Del Toro beat him at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last month before Seixas later withdrew with injury — and UAE domestiques have made it onto the podium before, such as Adam Yates in 2024.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of withdrew

Verb

Meghan and Harry retreated from the royal spotlight in 2020, sparking global controversy and dividing opinion in Britain.

— Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026
McBreairty then retreated into the riverbed, and SWAT officers were called in to assist with the search, as were members of the Police Department’s Emergency Negotiation Team.

— Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026

Definition of retreated

Verb

Almost 100 years later, Stanley Hurst and others surveyed the damage after the Mississippi receded.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
These battles have completely receded from the American imagination, even though, in some ways, the American rebellion was a sideshow to a far greater imperial drama.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of receded

Verb

Years before Travis Kelce knelt to the ground and pulled out a custom ring for Taylor Swift, the Kansas City Chiefs player was just a fan in the stands who was desperate for a meet-and-greet with the superstar.

— Bryan West, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Several artists, including Martina McBride, Young MC, the Commodores and Bret Michaels, pulled out after being announced or associated with Freedom 250 events.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Definition of pulled out

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backed (up)

backed (up or away)

backer

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“Backed (up or away).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backed%20%28up%20or%20away%29. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of backed (up or away)

verb

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