backing away

verb

present participle of back away
as in withdrawing
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 backing away The mission will arrive at the moons in 2027, spend two years mapping Phobos and selecting a landing site for sampling before backing away to observe Deimos. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 Instead of literally backing away, in this example, the person metaphorically backs away by completing the session and exiting as expected without further conflict. — Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Carrington wasn't backing away from her use of the phrase. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 And yet, for the first time in more than a century, the United States is not backing away. — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 Zoom isn’t backing away from traditional commercials, says Storin, but sees a need to shift to new tactics as digitally-savvy consumers discover services, products and brands in different ways. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 July 2026 Even as beef prices continue to hit record highs, Burger King is not backing away from burgers. — Hallie Jackson, NBC news, 20 July 2026 According to the report, Sheets' girlfriend pleaded with him while backing away and heard one gunshot. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 8 July 2026 As the officers ask Marseille to put the dog away, bodycam video shows the second officer unholstering his gun and backing away from the barking dog. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backing away
  1. withdrawing
  2. retreating
  3. falling back
  4. pulling out
  5. dropping back
  6. retiring
Verb
  • In these situations, withdrawing into a literal or symbolic dark room—avoiding sources of stress and going to a safe place—can be adaptive in the short term.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • After two decades of war, the US military was withdrawing from Afghanistan, and Kabul was falling.
    — Azadeh Moaveni, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of withdrawing
Verb
  • Many have reacted by retreating, focusing on cultivating niche audiences.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Longtime collaborator Erik Blood foregrounds Butler’s dry drum machines in the mix, letting every other element shuffle around them, snaking toward the spotlight for a brief moment and retreating back into the brume.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of retreating
Verb
  • The rocket soared to an altitude of about 65 miles before falling back to Earth.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Apple's market value briefly surpassed Nvidia in July, before falling back below.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of falling back
Verb
  • National groups from both parties began pulling out of the race earlier this month, signaling that both now view the contest as less competitive than previously thought.
    — Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As good as Oliver Stone is at pulling out incredible performances from his male stars, the same isn’t always true for his leading ladies.
    — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of pulling out
Verb
  • The Crimson Tide are 5-2 for the season, dropping back-to-back games against Georgia and Tennessee.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Seattle accomplishes this by masterfully disguising defensive assignments before the snap, which can force Mahomes to diagnose where to go with the football only after dropping back.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of dropping back
Verb
  • Both Collins and Manchin — who represented deep-red West Virginia in the Senate before leaving the Democratic Party and retiring in 2024 — have a history of clashing with their respective parties.
    — Taurean Small, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Outgoing ranking members Angie Craig of Minnesota and Nydia Velázquez of New York are also behind, though retiring members and frontliners generally don’t pay dues in full.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of retiring

Browse Nearby Words

backing
backing away
backing down
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Cite this Entry

“Backing away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backing%20away. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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